The lock down has also led to disruptions in education exposing young people to the risk of Gender Based Violence as well as getting unwanted pregnancies. The increment in internet costs has made it worse as this has further affected access to information.

BY ANNEGRACE NAMUGAANYI | In Commemoration of the World Population Day

The United Nations statistics revealed that up to 16 per cent of the world’s population which is equivalent to 1.2 billion people, are adolescents aged 10-19 years. According to a UNICEF report on Adolescent health and well-being, “an estimated 1.2 million adolescents die every year and mostly from preventable causes.”  The World Health Organization reports reveal that many often die prematurely due to several factors such as; homicide, suicide, violence, motor accidents, pregnancy and childbirth related complication, among others.

Statistics from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) indicate that Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world with the country’s population annual growth estimated at 3.0% (among the highest in the world). At 9 million, adolescent constitute a quarter on the nation’s population, many of which have limited access to quality education as well as health and social services.

In Uganda, access to adolescent sexual and reproductive health information and services, which among others enhance the ability to remain free from unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STIs) and all forms of sexual violence and coercion is still lacking and this has been worsened with the lock down aimed at curbing the spread of the corona virus. This gives adolescents in Uganda limited choices when it comes to issues relating to quality promotion of healthy sexual behaviors, access to family planning services and information, access to general information on sexual and reproductive health issues, abortion and post-care, condom uses and management of STIs. Whereas the government of Uganda has adopted a number of policies and strategies to address part of the problems faced by young people in the country which among others, include the National Adolescent Policy for Uganda, 2004, School Health Policy for Uganda as well as the Standards and Guidelines for reducing Maternal Mortality from Unsafe Abortions in Uganda (April, 2005), finalization and implementation of these policies is still wanting.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already complex situation. The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda has come with various challenges including difficulty in accessing essential Sexual and Reproductive Health services such as modern contraceptives including condoms due to the of the lock down. The lock down has also led to disruptions in education exposing young people to the risk of Gender Based Violence as well as getting unwanted pregnancies. The increment in internet costs has made it worse as this has further affected access to information.

As a young person, I call upon government to support the well being of my fellow young people by addressing the challenges that have led to higher rates of unmet needs for Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and information. This can be achieved by Government committing to finalizing all the pending policies such as the National School Health Policy, that will enable young people access services and information as well as ensuring that those in existence are implemented.

The writer is an intern at the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development.

Thursday, July 8th, 2021

KAMPALA. The High Court today heard the case of Mulumba Moses & Center for Health Human Rights and
Development (CEHURD) vs Attorney General, The Medical and Dental Practitioners Council, & The Minister of Health. The case, which was filed on June 24th, 2021 challenges the government, and the medical
council for failure to act in response to exorbitant, unjustified, and extortionate fees hospitals are charging for the
management and treatment of COVID-19.

In today’s hearing, the High Court ordered:
1. The Government, Minister of Health and Medical and Dental Practitioners Council to make
regulations on fees chargeable by hospitals managing and treating COVID -19 patients
2. The Medical and Dental Practitioners Council to make recommendations to the Minister of Health on
reasonable fees chargeable by hospitals for treatment and management of persons suffering from
COVID-19.

See details of the Court Order >>> https://bit.ly/3k1YfDk

“Today the court has ruled in favour of the fundamental health rights of patients. It has ordered government and
professional councils to regulate fees for COVID-19 treatment services so that patients are charged fairly. This is
a big win for all Ugandans,” Moses Mulumba, CEHURD Executive Director and an applicant in the case said,
following the court hearing.

Background
On March 11th, 2020 the World Health Organisation declared the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) a global
pandemic. Uganda registered its first confirmed COVID-19 case on March 21st, 2020, and the country was put
under lock down shortly thereafter. The lock down was relaxed when the reported number of COVID-19 cases
came down.

In May 2021, the Minister of Health, Dr Ruth Aceng announced that Uganda was reporting a significant increase
in COVID-19 cases, signalling the second wave of COVID-19 infections, with a preponderance likely being the
much more transmissible and aggressive “delta variant” of COVID-19. The Minister warned that the second wave
is usually more aggressive that the first. Ugandan hospitals are currently overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients
requiring intensive management, including Oxygen in order to beat the virus. The few Intensive Care Units in the
country are overwhelmed and stock out of oxygen has become routine.

A survey of media reports in June 2021 revealed that a day in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a private hospital
in Kampala will cost a COVID-19 patient between Shs2 million to Shs10 million per day depending on the facility.
A patient with moderate symptoms is likely to pay between Shs1.5 million and Shs5 million daily, depending on
where they go. Treatment typically lasts weeks, resulting in medical costs too exorbitant to bear.
Uganda is currently under 42 days of a strict lock down. As the effects of COVID-19 continue to ravage the
country, more people are going to require treatment and management of the virus. Since there is no regulatory
framework to rein in hospitals, these high changes will continue.

Today’s High Court decision is a remedy for this crisis. We are ready to work with the government, the Medical
council and the Health Minister to ensure that the Court’s orders are implemented urgently and those responsible to heed the High Court orders and regulate the rates charged for the management and treatment of COVID-19. This will give Ugandans a fair chance to access COVID-19 treatment.

For more information, contact Ibrahim Nsereko 0702245536 or email nsereko@cehurd.org and copy
info@cehurd.org

CEHURD invites applications from eligible firms for prequalification to provide a variety of goods and non consultancy services under the categories in the Appendix II of the attached details in the download section , for the period 2021/ 2024.

Applications and accompanying requirements must be submitted by email only.
Deadline for submission of applications: Tuesday 27th July, 2021.

The problem for the 8th Annual CEHURD moot court competition 2021 is out! We wish all the participants the best of luck!

cehurd #JASPROGRAMME

”This time I waited for the results with a little bit of excitement because I was sure they would be in my favour. But alas! they still came back positive. At this point I wondered what I was not doing right.”

By Mariana Kayaga

Before I got the COVID test (yes, that irritating nasal swab), I was really fine but as soon as our Human Resources Manager asked me to get a COVID test, fear overtook me, not because I was afraid of testing positive but because I had had a bad experience the last time I tested.  

As soon as the test was finalised, my fears unfolded, I got a running nose and a very painful headache (the kind that hurts just above your eye).

On my way back from buying a handkerchief a friend called, saying she wasn’t fine and that she needed someone to talk to. When I left office I went straight to her place in Kisaasi and spent the night with her as we talked. 

That Saturday morning at around 12pm,  I received a call from the Human Resources Manager 

HR: Hello Mariana, how are you? 

Me : I’m fine, how are you? 

HR : Munange the test came back positive.

Me : Thank you. Have a great weekend. 

HR : If you need any help don’t hesitate to call me. 

At that moment my friend and l were still in bed and I told her my result. Her response wasn’t what I expected because of the stigma that comes with having a positive Covid results. She instead requested me to stay at her place,saying she would look after me. 

I later called my mum, broke the news and told  her where I would be spending the rest of my week. I also called my Manager to inform him about the results and that I wouldn’t be able to go to the office. I can only imagine how he felt given the fact that my seat is next to his.

This COVID thing hits different. After being home for more than three weeks, treating an illness that almost got me stuck to a wheelchair, my anxiety was off the roof. 

The first seven days were the pits with chest pain, a constant headache, terrible flu and a burning sensation in my throat…Ugh! I did some steaming with plain water in a bucket at least twice a day and that went along with some concoctions which included lemon, ginger, garlic and raw pepper. I still wonder why I was adding pepper to the mix because it only fuelled the burning sensation and made my nose run even more.

On top of the random fevers, running nose and headaches, I lost my sense of taste and smell. For some time, I felt like a non-living thing! I could see food but I could not taste or smell it and the top tier was that I was always hungry. 

In my mind I knew things had gone bad and that was the worst feeling I have ever had. I later returned to my place and was by myself with no one to talk to apart from following / engaging in online conversations. It felt really terrible and sometimes I would find myself crying hysterically. The thought of my lungs failing me on one random morning and ending up on a life support machine made my stomach hurt, given the gaps in Uganda’s health care system. I was extremely worried with thoughts of ‘’what if I don’t make it?’’, ‘’what if I get to hospital and it’s crowded without a bed for me?’’ as tears rolled down my cheeks.

Meanwhile, I took COVID tests hoping for negative results, looking forward to days free from the steaming which had even bruised my fingers.

The results still came back positive. Whenever the HR Manager gave me the results, I could hear the worry in her voice.To allay her worries, I always told her I would be fine. During the call she advised that I go get a second opinion and later buy more vitamins (vitamin D3, E, C) and Zinc to boost my immunity.

I went for another test at Norvik Hospital and of course paid  Shs 200,000 but again the result came back positive. To say that I felt terrible when the doctor broke the news is an understatement. 

While I was struggling with all the other symptoms that came with COVID, Azithromycin gave me an extremely painful stomach ache and the only consolation I had was that it was a three days’ dose, so I hung in there. 

After seven days of taking vitamins, I regained my taste buds but couldn’t smell a thing. I went for another test. At this moment, I was desperate for a negative result! This time I waited for the results with a little bit of excitement because I was sure they would be in my favour.  But alas! they still came back positive. At this point I wondered what I was not doing right.

In all this, my father never got tired of calling and checking no my progress. When my mother called and I told her the same results, she decided to send me fruits everyday, saying “Kilabika wetaga bibala” (it seems you need fruits). She sent the fruits till I got a negative result, seven days later. 

The truth is COVID treats everyone differently, some people don’t even notice that they have it (asymptotic), others battle it silently like I did and others get unto life support but we can all get through this. 

My prayer is that we all follow the Ministry of Health guidelines and stay safe. Let us not wait for the people we know to drop dead before we take COVID seriously. If you get it, stay positive and believe you can beat it no matter how frustrating it feels in the moment. 

Ms Kayaga is a Programme Officer in the Community Empowerment Programme.