Author: alphyjuma

9th December 2021 By Sharon Atieno Despite forests playing a key role in absorption of greenhouse gas emissions and consequently reducing the negative impacts of climate change, Kenya has been losing its forest cover at an alarming rate. According to the Global Forest Watch, from 2013 to 2020, 80% of tree cover loss in Kenya occurred within natural forests. The loss is equivalent to 45.8 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. To reverse this trend, as part of its National Climate Change Action Plan (2018-2022), Kenya is determined to increase its forest cover from 6.9% to 10% by 2022. Key…

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10th December 2021 Hasifah Namuli The government of Uganda in conjunction with several organizations on the 23rd of November 2021 launched the “Sauti 116 awareness campaign” aiming at sensitizing the public about the helpline that is taking the fight against child abuse to greater heights In 2014, the Ministry of Gender Labor and Social Development (MGLSD) in partnership with UNICEF and other stakeholders established the Toll-Free Number 116 as the Uganda Child Helpline (UCHL)/Sauti to encourage children and adults report cases of child abuse and all forms of child rights violations. The UCHL service is one of the mechanisms to…

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4th December 2021 By Treezer Michelle The global theme for this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which will run from 25 November to 10 December 2021, is “Orange the world: End violence against women now! The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is an annual international campaign that is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. According to the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, GBV includes acts that inflict physical, sexual or mental harm and other…

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25th November 2021 By Jejje Muhinde; Aimable Bahizi, a resident in Rwamagana district, Eastern Rwanda has been struggling to get access to safe drinking water Like Bahizi, many families living in vulnerable communities in this remote rural Rwanda face the double-edged sword of coping with high water scarcity during the drought season from May to mid-September. In rural areas of Rwamagana and Kayonza districts, households can spend even a month without running water, and when it comes, it is available for a day and goes for another month. Girls and women who take up the household tasks spend hours queuing…

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23rd November 2021 By George Kalisa; “Many of our young children particularly those under the age of five and mothers were dying while others were emaciated, but mothers in this village blamed it on different causes ranging from fate to witchcraft,” recalled Ms Theophila Mukamashengesho the pioneer of the kitchen garden locally known as Akarima k’Igikoni in Taba Village, Ruyonza Cell, in Ruramira Sector of Kayonza District in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. They would contact traditional medicine men and women in vain, and the health of the children or pregnant and breast-feeding mothers continued to be at rock-bottom in…

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The Call Africa Health Solutions Journalism Initiative (AHSJI) invites Ugandan, Rwandan and Kenyan Journalists to submit proposals for indepth investigative health solutions journalism stories on the Responses to Anti-microbial Resistance (AMR) in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. The Background Antimicrobials (antibiotics, antifungals, anti-parasitic, antivirals) play a critical role in treating animal, human and plant diseases, hence their use is necessary to ensure food security and the welfare of people and their animals. However, the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials can accelerate the development of AMR thus rendering these medications less effective against routine infections leading to poor health outcomes and losses.…

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By Kioko Nyamasyo In 2020, 21% of small businesses in Kenya had shut down due to ravages of COVID-19. The remaining 79% were operating on varying degree depending on the impact of COVID-19 to their area and type of business, according to a report by MicroSave Consulting. Most affected small businesses were located in Nairobi and Mombasa as government had imposed total lockdown as well as dusk to dawn curfew. Schools were also closed at that time and rural areas that had institutions of higher learning were affected. One of the areas is Kitere where Rongo University is located. “The…

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In 2018, an estimated 1.4 million people in Uganda were living with HIV, and an estimated 23,000 Ugandans died of AIDS-related illnesses. The epidemic is firmly established in the general population. As of 2018, the estimated HIV prevalence among adults (aged 15 to 49) stood at 5.7%. Women are disproportionately affected, with 8.8% of adult women living with HIV compared to 4.3% of men. However, as of 2018 around 27% of adults living with HIV and 33% of children living with HIV were still not on treatment. Some of the key populations affected by HIV in Uganda include sex workers,…

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By Jejje Muhinde; Aimable Bahizi, a resident in Rwamagana district, Eastern Rwanda has been struggling to get access to safe drinking water Like Bahizi, many families living in vulnerable communities in this remote rural Rwanda face the double-edged sword of coping with high water scarcity during the drought season from May to mid-September. In rural areas of Rwamagana and Kayonza districts, households can spend even a month without running water, and when it comes, it is available for a day and goes for another month. Girls and women who take up the household tasks spend hours queuing up on water…

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18 November, 2021 By Evance Odhiambo Long distance covered to and from school by students in day secondary schools in rural areas within Kisumu county  exposes most students especially girls to danger. Some are lured into early sexual encounters by those offering them ride to and from school. This leads to school dropout and teen pregnancies among others. The long journey to school on foot hinders students from realizing their academic dreams since they waste a lot of time. They get to school exhausted and unable to concentrate in class. The long walk to school also leads to emergence of…

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