Monday, May 21, 2012
SUPPLIER EVALUATION AN ESSENTIAL TOOL
By Brian Ssenoga
bssenoga@ug.nationmedia.com
It is not common for small businesses to evaluate their suppliers citing challenges that come along with the practice but no matter the size of the business procurement experts have always recommended it for not only the smooth running of business but customer satisfaction as well.
Claire Kawenja the manager Kushona designers advises that if one is to take part in a profitable business, be it selling products in an average wholesale shop or online, one must monitor both your suppliers and clients, as routine evaluation is a good option if you choose to start a business.
“Most big suppliers typically are not looking to work with small sellers since they usually have a strong core customer base, negating the need to follow up on their product performance. Since these wholesale suppliers work with major consumers with a large amount of revenue, it is understandable that the supplier has no need to work on attracting customers, who are very much just small fish in a big container. They are more bent at selling and selling more not selling and checking on the product afterwards. It is better to carry out supplier evaluation especially when the product you are purchasing is just a raw material for the final product” adds Ms. Kawenja
Supplier evaluation is a term used in business and refers to the process of assessing and approving potential suppliers by factual and measurable assessment. It can be done on the existing or new suppliers on the basis of their delivery, prices, production capacity, and quality of management, technical capabilities and service.
The purpose of supplier evaluation is to ensure a selection of best suppliers available for use. Supplier evaluation is also a process applied to current suppliers in order to measure and monitor their performance for the purposes of reducing costs, mitigating risk and driving continuous improvement
“Supplier evaluation is a continual process within purchasing departments and forms part of the pre-qualification step within the purchasing process although in many organizations and companies it may include the participation and input of other departments and stakeholders” says Kisambira Amraphel head sales and marketing at Fathil International Projects.
He continues that an effective supplier evaluation process is always associated with other various benefits such as mitigation against poor supplier performance and performance failures.
Supplier evaluation can also help customers and suppliers identify and remove hidden cost drivers in the supply chain. The process in a way motivates suppliers to improve their performance as some times the customer is required to visit the place where the supplier works from. The benefits characteristically include sourcing from suppliers that provide high standards of product and service levels whilst offering sufficient capacity and business stability.
However the process always comes with a sizable number of challenges including making sure that evaluation of current suppliers goes beyond measurement to actual performance improvement by providing feedback to suppliers on their performance and working on continuous improvement opportunities.
Some of the challenges associated with supplier evaluation may be eased by the use of appropriate tools. For simple projects a questionnaire can be used. But as evaluations become more intricate and frequent, data management and data integrity issues become significant.
Thus, management commitment to and support of a supplier evaluation process is always essential.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Uganda's health sector to limp on for sometime
By Brian Ssenoga
Peoples’ lives have improved in Uganda, schools have been built and refurbished and at least 1.5 million mosquito nets have been distributed in the last one year but Uganda still grapples with health shortfalls posing huge consequences in addition to the staggering economy.
According to Dr. Asuman Lukwago, permanent secretary ministry of health, the health sector budget has remained stagnant between Shs 660 billion for the last five years and 790 billion in 2011/2012.
This has caused stock outs of essential medicines in the country and the maternal mortality rate is still high with sixteen mothers dying daily according to Dennis Kibira, chairman HEPS-Uganda a coalition for promotion and social development.
A report released last month by HEPS- Uganda reveals that while 55percent of HIV patients are co-infected with TB about ten Ugandan districts for six months have not had TB drugs causing a 40 percent death rate of the HIV patients co-infected.
Richard Kintu, coordinator Child Health Now campaign of World Vision Uganda says that about 16 women die every day in Uganda while giving birth or during pregnancy.
He adds that, “Maternal and child health is still a challenge in Uganda, every day at least sixteen mothers die in child birth. Uganda’s maternal mortality rate is at 435 per 100,000 live births which translate to 6000 deaths annually, child mortality remains high with 137 deaths per 1000 live births”
Gabriel Opio, former gender labour and social development minister says that, “Prior to the making of the national budget, all ministries meet and propose their budgets. But in most cases, their budgets add up to 150 percent; beyond the total national budget share of 100 percent and when we reconcile to 100 percent, we discover the money is not enough. So as much as we want to increase the national budget to the health sector, the funds are not there”
However, according to health minister Dr Christine Ondoa, infant mortality rate has considerably fallen.
“The number of children who die before their first birthday dropped to 54 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2011 from 76 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006. Also the percentage of women giving birth in health facilities increased to 57 percent in 2011 from 42 percent in 2006, with 59 percent of women in Uganda now giving birth with the assistance of skilled birth attendants” she says
In the 2010/2011 budget, the Government allocated about shs 260 billion to maternal and reproductive health. Of this, about shs 60 billion was to cater for reproductive health
In the 2003 African Union Maputo Declaration, member countries agreed to commit at least 15 percent of their annual national budgets to the health sector. Currently, Uganda’s budget share to the health sector is 8 percent, with maternal and child health among the least funded.
“Streamlining the health sector is the greatest challenge facing Uganda. The percentage of the budget allocation to health in Uganda has been reduced from 8.7 percent to 8.2 percent that is awful” says Njeri Mwangi, World Vision Uganda advisor on East Africa advocacy issues.
Even with external support, the budget allocation for the health sector in 2008/2009 was at 10.7 percent and 10.2 percent in 2009/2010 ten years down the road it is at 8.2 percent.
In 2001, African Heads of State made a commitment to allocate 15 percent of their annual domestic budgets to health during the special summit on AIDS, TB and Malaria held in Abuja. The Abuja commitment excluded external support. The budget allocations have been 9.3 percent, 9.0 percent, 10.7percent, and 10.2 percent in 2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2008/2009, 2009/2010 respectively.
“Yes, it is worth noting that government health budget has gone up since 2010, but the Abuja commitment of 15 percent has never been met, and the percentage allocated to health has stagnated. Such has created a crisis which includes deaths of mothers in childbirth, stock outs of essential medicine and health supplies and shortages of professional health workers needed to deliver the national minimum health care package” says Dennis Kibira chairman HEPS Uganda
While government still plans to carry out a national health accounts study to trace all resources that come to the sector, brain drain is yet another loophole putting the lives of Ugandans on the line. The continued reduction in the number of doctors and nurses in relation to the increasing population makes matters worse. With an estimated 33.4 million people at a population growth rate of 3.6 percent per year and a fertility rate of 6.7 births per woman, there are only ten physicians per 100,000 people according to the UN Human Development report (2010).
According to Dr. Katumba Ssentongo, the registrar Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC) there are about 3854 medical officers registered with the council including those who are in private and NGO hospitals but of these only 2417 are in active service. However, he reveals that an average of six doctors a week seek a certificate of good standing from the council, a requirement for medical officers to work abroad.
“It is worse upcountry. For instance, Nakasongola, Moroto and Kalangala districts did not have a single medical doctor at the time of the last census. Medical officers do not want to work there, they prefer Kampala and others go for greener pastures abroad” says Dr. Katumba
However, according to the ministry permanent secretary an estimated 2000 doctors and nurses leave the country every year in search of greener pastures as if that is not enough, it is also on record that it is only recently that government started refurbishing hospitals and health centre IVs under the Health Systems Strengthening Project (UHSSP)
Dr. Ondoa says that government looks at training more health professionals and is renovating two regional referral hospitals of Moroto and Mubende and seventeen hospitals around the country. Plus twenty seven Health centre IVs which will also be supplied with appropriate medical equipment and human staff.
“To facilitate operations in the 46 health facilities scheduled for renovation, 58 multi-purpose double cabin pickups have been procured. 19 of them were distributed in February during the launch of the Uganda Health systems strengthening project to 19 hospitals to be renovated” adds Dr. Ondoa
However, Dennis Odwe the program officer in charge of advocacy at Action Group for health, Human rights and Aids (AGHA) these are all good interventions and must be respected without which it will be yet another crisis leading to more insufficient domestic investment in essential medicines and health supplies for antiretroviral therapy and effective regimens needed to prevent further upheavals.
The health sector is yet to recover from the effects of the gross mismanagement of money from the Global Fund. With the limited resource basket, efficient use of resources is a key to attaining optimal results. What the country needs more than ever is the strengthening of monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure that resources are effectively utilized.
Dr. Francis Runumi, health ministry commissioner Health services and planning says that Uganda’s weak economy is the lead causative for such little unsatisfying allocations, “if we had money these issues would not matter but the share we get. Because of the little money due to a weak economy government then fails to fully address and provide preventive health solutions and instead stands waiting to provide curative means which in most cases are very costly hence spending more. I think the current way of prioritizing would work for us in the future because if you have a hospital with no power then it will not work effectively but as of now the health sector will limp on for some time”
Peoples’ lives have improved in Uganda, schools have been built and refurbished and at least 1.5 million mosquito nets have been distributed in the last one year but Uganda still grapples with health shortfalls posing huge consequences in addition to the staggering economy.
According to Dr. Asuman Lukwago, permanent secretary ministry of health, the health sector budget has remained stagnant between Shs 660 billion for the last five years and 790 billion in 2011/2012.
This has caused stock outs of essential medicines in the country and the maternal mortality rate is still high with sixteen mothers dying daily according to Dennis Kibira, chairman HEPS-Uganda a coalition for promotion and social development.
A report released last month by HEPS- Uganda reveals that while 55percent of HIV patients are co-infected with TB about ten Ugandan districts for six months have not had TB drugs causing a 40 percent death rate of the HIV patients co-infected.
Richard Kintu, coordinator Child Health Now campaign of World Vision Uganda says that about 16 women die every day in Uganda while giving birth or during pregnancy.
He adds that, “Maternal and child health is still a challenge in Uganda, every day at least sixteen mothers die in child birth. Uganda’s maternal mortality rate is at 435 per 100,000 live births which translate to 6000 deaths annually, child mortality remains high with 137 deaths per 1000 live births”
Gabriel Opio, former gender labour and social development minister says that, “Prior to the making of the national budget, all ministries meet and propose their budgets. But in most cases, their budgets add up to 150 percent; beyond the total national budget share of 100 percent and when we reconcile to 100 percent, we discover the money is not enough. So as much as we want to increase the national budget to the health sector, the funds are not there”
However, according to health minister Dr Christine Ondoa, infant mortality rate has considerably fallen.
“The number of children who die before their first birthday dropped to 54 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2011 from 76 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006. Also the percentage of women giving birth in health facilities increased to 57 percent in 2011 from 42 percent in 2006, with 59 percent of women in Uganda now giving birth with the assistance of skilled birth attendants” she says
In the 2010/2011 budget, the Government allocated about shs 260 billion to maternal and reproductive health. Of this, about shs 60 billion was to cater for reproductive health
In the 2003 African Union Maputo Declaration, member countries agreed to commit at least 15 percent of their annual national budgets to the health sector. Currently, Uganda’s budget share to the health sector is 8 percent, with maternal and child health among the least funded.
“Streamlining the health sector is the greatest challenge facing Uganda. The percentage of the budget allocation to health in Uganda has been reduced from 8.7 percent to 8.2 percent that is awful” says Njeri Mwangi, World Vision Uganda advisor on East Africa advocacy issues.
Even with external support, the budget allocation for the health sector in 2008/2009 was at 10.7 percent and 10.2 percent in 2009/2010 ten years down the road it is at 8.2 percent.
In 2001, African Heads of State made a commitment to allocate 15 percent of their annual domestic budgets to health during the special summit on AIDS, TB and Malaria held in Abuja. The Abuja commitment excluded external support. The budget allocations have been 9.3 percent, 9.0 percent, 10.7percent, and 10.2 percent in 2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2008/2009, 2009/2010 respectively.
“Yes, it is worth noting that government health budget has gone up since 2010, but the Abuja commitment of 15 percent has never been met, and the percentage allocated to health has stagnated. Such has created a crisis which includes deaths of mothers in childbirth, stock outs of essential medicine and health supplies and shortages of professional health workers needed to deliver the national minimum health care package” says Dennis Kibira chairman HEPS Uganda
While government still plans to carry out a national health accounts study to trace all resources that come to the sector, brain drain is yet another loophole putting the lives of Ugandans on the line. The continued reduction in the number of doctors and nurses in relation to the increasing population makes matters worse. With an estimated 33.4 million people at a population growth rate of 3.6 percent per year and a fertility rate of 6.7 births per woman, there are only ten physicians per 100,000 people according to the UN Human Development report (2010).
According to Dr. Katumba Ssentongo, the registrar Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC) there are about 3854 medical officers registered with the council including those who are in private and NGO hospitals but of these only 2417 are in active service. However, he reveals that an average of six doctors a week seek a certificate of good standing from the council, a requirement for medical officers to work abroad.
“It is worse upcountry. For instance, Nakasongola, Moroto and Kalangala districts did not have a single medical doctor at the time of the last census. Medical officers do not want to work there, they prefer Kampala and others go for greener pastures abroad” says Dr. Katumba
However, according to the ministry permanent secretary an estimated 2000 doctors and nurses leave the country every year in search of greener pastures as if that is not enough, it is also on record that it is only recently that government started refurbishing hospitals and health centre IVs under the Health Systems Strengthening Project (UHSSP)
Dr. Ondoa says that government looks at training more health professionals and is renovating two regional referral hospitals of Moroto and Mubende and seventeen hospitals around the country. Plus twenty seven Health centre IVs which will also be supplied with appropriate medical equipment and human staff.
“To facilitate operations in the 46 health facilities scheduled for renovation, 58 multi-purpose double cabin pickups have been procured. 19 of them were distributed in February during the launch of the Uganda Health systems strengthening project to 19 hospitals to be renovated” adds Dr. Ondoa
However, Dennis Odwe the program officer in charge of advocacy at Action Group for health, Human rights and Aids (AGHA) these are all good interventions and must be respected without which it will be yet another crisis leading to more insufficient domestic investment in essential medicines and health supplies for antiretroviral therapy and effective regimens needed to prevent further upheavals.
The health sector is yet to recover from the effects of the gross mismanagement of money from the Global Fund. With the limited resource basket, efficient use of resources is a key to attaining optimal results. What the country needs more than ever is the strengthening of monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure that resources are effectively utilized.
Dr. Francis Runumi, health ministry commissioner Health services and planning says that Uganda’s weak economy is the lead causative for such little unsatisfying allocations, “if we had money these issues would not matter but the share we get. Because of the little money due to a weak economy government then fails to fully address and provide preventive health solutions and instead stands waiting to provide curative means which in most cases are very costly hence spending more. I think the current way of prioritizing would work for us in the future because if you have a hospital with no power then it will not work effectively but as of now the health sector will limp on for some time”
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
SMEs must embrace joint ventures to win government contracts
By Brian Ssenoga
As the old adage goes that,"the larger stones do not lie well without the lesser” it is in this spirit that all Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) must carry with them in order to win business from government which is arguably the biggest employer and has the juicy deals in the land.
Procurement experts say that that for SMEs to win business from government they must fight by all means to join big companies in joint ventures, because by teaming up with others small businesses can extend their market reach.
“If properly chosen and implemented, a joint venture can be a great method for a small business to get in on opportunities and profits that otherwise they would miss out on. Big companies know the tricks of scooping business, so for small companies to learn the same they must team up with the big boys” advises William Jjemba a procurement expert and director Inter Africa Multi foods ltd
He continues that big enterprises have a lot of information, resources and capability plus the long term credibility created within their line of operation thus by working together on the same project a small company obviously capitalises on the fact that it accesses new markets in the future that would be inaccessible without a partner
The web defines a joint venture as a strategic alliance where two or more people or companies agree to contribute goods, services and/or capital to a common commercial enterprise.
Sounds like a partnership, but legally joint ventures and partnerships are not the same thing. The main difference between a joint venture and a partnership is that the members of a joint venture team up together for a particular purpose or project, while the members of a partnership join together to run a business in common.
Thus each member of the joint venture retains ownership of his property and shares only the expenses of that particular venture
According to Stephen Omoding, a lecturer of procurement studies at Buganda Royal Institute of Business and Technical Education-Mengo, a joint venture can sometimes seem like more work than it’s worth due to the fact that it takes time and effort to build the right relationship and managerial problems are likely to rise if the objectives of the venture are not very clearly communicated to every involved. There is also an imbalance in levels of expertise, investment or assets brought in the venture by the different parties.
“However, all that can be dealt with and business owners who think in this style probably have a mistaken mindset to be in business in the first place. If a business owner is on the lookout for advantages, a joint venture may be in the cards and just the thing to create those merits, small companies have access to larger markets, access to technology and resources and also build credibility” says Mr. Omoding
As the old adage goes that,"the larger stones do not lie well without the lesser” it is in this spirit that all Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) must carry with them in order to win business from government which is arguably the biggest employer and has the juicy deals in the land.
Procurement experts say that that for SMEs to win business from government they must fight by all means to join big companies in joint ventures, because by teaming up with others small businesses can extend their market reach.
“If properly chosen and implemented, a joint venture can be a great method for a small business to get in on opportunities and profits that otherwise they would miss out on. Big companies know the tricks of scooping business, so for small companies to learn the same they must team up with the big boys” advises William Jjemba a procurement expert and director Inter Africa Multi foods ltd
He continues that big enterprises have a lot of information, resources and capability plus the long term credibility created within their line of operation thus by working together on the same project a small company obviously capitalises on the fact that it accesses new markets in the future that would be inaccessible without a partner
The web defines a joint venture as a strategic alliance where two or more people or companies agree to contribute goods, services and/or capital to a common commercial enterprise.
Sounds like a partnership, but legally joint ventures and partnerships are not the same thing. The main difference between a joint venture and a partnership is that the members of a joint venture team up together for a particular purpose or project, while the members of a partnership join together to run a business in common.
Thus each member of the joint venture retains ownership of his property and shares only the expenses of that particular venture
According to Stephen Omoding, a lecturer of procurement studies at Buganda Royal Institute of Business and Technical Education-Mengo, a joint venture can sometimes seem like more work than it’s worth due to the fact that it takes time and effort to build the right relationship and managerial problems are likely to rise if the objectives of the venture are not very clearly communicated to every involved. There is also an imbalance in levels of expertise, investment or assets brought in the venture by the different parties.
“However, all that can be dealt with and business owners who think in this style probably have a mistaken mindset to be in business in the first place. If a business owner is on the lookout for advantages, a joint venture may be in the cards and just the thing to create those merits, small companies have access to larger markets, access to technology and resources and also build credibility” says Mr. Omoding
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
GLOBAL FUND CANCELS ROUND ELEVEN GRANTS AS FINANCIAL DOWNTURN BITES
The global fund to fight HIV, TB and Malaria has postponed the round eleven grant making process to countries like Uganda following a financial down turn which has forced donors to restrain from giving there money to the fund.
This came up in a recent meeting in Accra Ghana where the committee members realized the fund has been seriously affected by the financial down turn and thus effectively cancelled its next round of grant making saying it is unable to hand out new grants to countries for disease-fighting programs because of an acute shortage of money, but will support ‘essential needs’
Speaking to Daily Monitor on phone the ministry of health permanent secretary Dr. Asuman Lukwago said that Uganda’s performance is still below but suspension of round eleven does not mean that global fund has halted its operations in Uganda.
“To Uganda the fund postponed round eleven grants but has given assurance that in case of failure of government to effectively operationalize the program, it will give some little money to us up to 2015 but on the whole we are getting less compared to other countries in the region” said Mr. Lukwago
He also added that, “It is not only Uganda, but the fund in Geneva has told all member countries not to put in new applications for funding for round eleven. It is offering a transitional funding mechanism, which will allow countries to ask for money to cover essential needs. In recognition of the danger of stopping HIV treatment, this should allow countries to continue to supply drugs to people who are already taking them”
The fund has been waiting in vain for financial help from donors ever since its big renewal meeting in New York a year ago failed to deliver the sums hoped for. It wanted 20 billion dollars but only got 11.7 billion dollars. in spite of exhortations to donors to pledge more money from the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, who warned that the stakes were high and that more lives would be lost if pressure on the killer diseases was not maintained.
UGANDA IN RELATION TO OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION
While other regional states get a lot of money from the Global Fund to fight HIV, TB and malaria Uganda still gets the least amount over what technocrats call mismanagement of the earlier grants about seven years ago.
According to Prof. Vinand Nantulya the chairman Uganda Aids Commission (UAC) Ethiopia got 1.2 billion dollars from the global fund to fight HIV, TB and malaria, Tanzania was given 1 billion, Kenya gets 800 million dollars and Rwanda receives 600 million dollars and Uganda only parts with a mare 300 million dollars.
He also attributes the cut in the funding to the earlier mismanagement of the fund.
“We have suffered enough and lost a lot. 300 million dollars in nothing. Tanzania has got one billion dollars from the global fund, Kenya got 800 million dollars, and Rwanda got 600 million dollars. Because they are using the money well and with proper accountability and results to show that money is being used properly. But now see what mismanagement has cost Uganda” said Mr. Nantulya, a former senior health advisor and chief advisor to the executive director of the global fund, Geneva for more than three years.
At the launch of the round ten malaria and TB grant recently at Kampala Serena Mr. Nantulya who is also the chairman of the country coordinating mechanism (CCM) a global fund oversight committee, added that Uganda also falls victim of slow absorption of some rounds due to delayed procurements and low responsiveness to Global fund requirements sighting an example of the first phase of round six of the TB grant. Which was for the long term institutional arrangement and the excessive caution taken caused delays and ultimately the under performance of the grant
“The application for round nine was unsuccessful and we did not apply for round eight and now the round eleven has been cancelled, ” he said.
However, he was quick to add that the signing of the round ten Malaria and TB grant worth 78.5 million dollars which is about 600 billion shillings is a sure sign that Uganda has opened a new page on which the global fund and the public must have confidence that things are going to change for the better where by with the new wave of funding, new strategies are already drawn to reduce the HIV, TB and malaria burden in the country by 2015.
“Setting up a solid CCM means a number of things to happen and one of them is that we already have two principle recipients, one is the ministry of finance on behalf of government and TASO on behalf of civil society organisations. We are also targeting to reduce the infection rate by at least a half, we must see the number of children born with HIV going down, we expect to see a change in the behavior of people which leads to safe sexual practices, we expect to see the leadership back in the fight against HIV as a way of ‘turning off the tap’. We expect to see a lot of activity taking place” he added.
ALSO IMPORTANT
2005 year of global fund suspension in Uganda and by then Uganda was on five hence missing round six and now round eleven
78.5 US million dollars received in the round ten grant to work on health systems strengthening, TB and Malaria.
2 the number of years the grant is expected to run while government negotiates another 130 million dollars to finance HIV/Aids interventions for the next three years.
300,000 Ugandans receive free HIV treatment while another 600000 need to be recruited on the program.
2.2 million Ugandans tested for HIV last year and of these 40 percent were re-tests.
Malaria transmission is perennial and highly endemic in over 95 percent of the country with transmission rates varying from moderate to high.
This came up in a recent meeting in Accra Ghana where the committee members realized the fund has been seriously affected by the financial down turn and thus effectively cancelled its next round of grant making saying it is unable to hand out new grants to countries for disease-fighting programs because of an acute shortage of money, but will support ‘essential needs’
Speaking to Daily Monitor on phone the ministry of health permanent secretary Dr. Asuman Lukwago said that Uganda’s performance is still below but suspension of round eleven does not mean that global fund has halted its operations in Uganda.
“To Uganda the fund postponed round eleven grants but has given assurance that in case of failure of government to effectively operationalize the program, it will give some little money to us up to 2015 but on the whole we are getting less compared to other countries in the region” said Mr. Lukwago
He also added that, “It is not only Uganda, but the fund in Geneva has told all member countries not to put in new applications for funding for round eleven. It is offering a transitional funding mechanism, which will allow countries to ask for money to cover essential needs. In recognition of the danger of stopping HIV treatment, this should allow countries to continue to supply drugs to people who are already taking them”
The fund has been waiting in vain for financial help from donors ever since its big renewal meeting in New York a year ago failed to deliver the sums hoped for. It wanted 20 billion dollars but only got 11.7 billion dollars. in spite of exhortations to donors to pledge more money from the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, who warned that the stakes were high and that more lives would be lost if pressure on the killer diseases was not maintained.
UGANDA IN RELATION TO OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION
While other regional states get a lot of money from the Global Fund to fight HIV, TB and malaria Uganda still gets the least amount over what technocrats call mismanagement of the earlier grants about seven years ago.
According to Prof. Vinand Nantulya the chairman Uganda Aids Commission (UAC) Ethiopia got 1.2 billion dollars from the global fund to fight HIV, TB and malaria, Tanzania was given 1 billion, Kenya gets 800 million dollars and Rwanda receives 600 million dollars and Uganda only parts with a mare 300 million dollars.
He also attributes the cut in the funding to the earlier mismanagement of the fund.
“We have suffered enough and lost a lot. 300 million dollars in nothing. Tanzania has got one billion dollars from the global fund, Kenya got 800 million dollars, and Rwanda got 600 million dollars. Because they are using the money well and with proper accountability and results to show that money is being used properly. But now see what mismanagement has cost Uganda” said Mr. Nantulya, a former senior health advisor and chief advisor to the executive director of the global fund, Geneva for more than three years.
At the launch of the round ten malaria and TB grant recently at Kampala Serena Mr. Nantulya who is also the chairman of the country coordinating mechanism (CCM) a global fund oversight committee, added that Uganda also falls victim of slow absorption of some rounds due to delayed procurements and low responsiveness to Global fund requirements sighting an example of the first phase of round six of the TB grant. Which was for the long term institutional arrangement and the excessive caution taken caused delays and ultimately the under performance of the grant
“The application for round nine was unsuccessful and we did not apply for round eight and now the round eleven has been cancelled, ” he said.
However, he was quick to add that the signing of the round ten Malaria and TB grant worth 78.5 million dollars which is about 600 billion shillings is a sure sign that Uganda has opened a new page on which the global fund and the public must have confidence that things are going to change for the better where by with the new wave of funding, new strategies are already drawn to reduce the HIV, TB and malaria burden in the country by 2015.
“Setting up a solid CCM means a number of things to happen and one of them is that we already have two principle recipients, one is the ministry of finance on behalf of government and TASO on behalf of civil society organisations. We are also targeting to reduce the infection rate by at least a half, we must see the number of children born with HIV going down, we expect to see a change in the behavior of people which leads to safe sexual practices, we expect to see the leadership back in the fight against HIV as a way of ‘turning off the tap’. We expect to see a lot of activity taking place” he added.
ALSO IMPORTANT
2005 year of global fund suspension in Uganda and by then Uganda was on five hence missing round six and now round eleven
78.5 US million dollars received in the round ten grant to work on health systems strengthening, TB and Malaria.
2 the number of years the grant is expected to run while government negotiates another 130 million dollars to finance HIV/Aids interventions for the next three years.
300,000 Ugandans receive free HIV treatment while another 600000 need to be recruited on the program.
2.2 million Ugandans tested for HIV last year and of these 40 percent were re-tests.
Malaria transmission is perennial and highly endemic in over 95 percent of the country with transmission rates varying from moderate to high.
Monday, February 13, 2012
MORE MILLIONS NEED TO BE TESTED FOR HIV THIS NATIONAL CONDOM DAY 2012.
BY BRIAN SSENOGA KIMULI
While many Ugandans and the rest of the world are celebrating their romance on every February 14 as Valentine’s Day, the Aids HealthCare foundation Uganda Cares is marking the same day as the National Condom Day to educate and also remind the people about the importance of having protected sexual intercourse.
Currently, condoms are the only widely available, proven method for reducing transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during intercourse. Organizations around the world recommend condom use for the prevention of pregnancy and HIV/STIs.
BACKGROUND
According to Dr. Mina Ssali the public relations officer Uganda Cares, National Condom Day (NCD) is an annual health initiative. The campaign falls on February 14 Valentine's Day, an ideal time to encourage condom use when love and lust are in the air. NCD serves to remind people about the risks of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies, when people are celebrating romance, passion, love, lust and intimacy.
NCD was first marked in Uganda in 2009 by Uganda Cares in soroti. The organization with the ‘stay negative campaign’ wanted to promote the positive message of condom use while educating people about the need to practice safe sex. “Several organisations especially our partners around Uganda are now joining into the campaign to mark the NCD since 2009 with the message "say it with a condom", a nice way to say to a partner "I care about your health". The "say it with a condom" message has since developed a positive reputation during the merriment of romance on Valentine's Day” says Henry Magala the country director Uganda Cares.
He continues that, “Uganda Cares would like to remind people to take responsibility for their sexual health by using a condom during sexual activity. There are still many occasions where people are engaging in sexual risk taking behaviour. Some people are still embarrassed about condoms or they don't consider themselves at risk. The more at ease people feel talking about condoms, the more likely they are to use them”
According to Dr. Zainab Akol the Aids Control Program director in the ministry of health the purpose to mark this day is to Increase awareness and utilization of condoms for HIV prevention and promotion of reproductive health in the country.
“Most Ugandans know that condoms if correctly used can prevent HIV infection but fifty percent of our population are young people and few among them know the proper way of using them and even then among them, there are those who know who have failed to appreciate the condom. The day will be an opportunity to highlight the role of the condom in HIV prevention. ” says Ms. Akol.
According to Ms. Ssali, this year’s National Condom Day will be marked at Lukaya where Uganda cares is also launching a Test and Treat project where over one thousand people will receive free counseling, testing and also treatment of those with HIV will be given for free.
THE NEED FOR CONDOMS
According to Mr. Magala the country has for the last five years been importing from Korea an estimated 120 million condoms annually but compared to the needs and the infection rate and population growth rate this is still very little something that even Ms. Akol agrees to.
“We import about 120 million condoms a year but the consumption is high. A quick calculation is that every person has four condoms for a full year. The whole country is so lacking. Recently we received about ten million condoms from UNFPA and USAID but still that is not enough. That is also about a quarter a condom per a person” Ms. Akol Adds before saying that the government has no intentions of setting up a condom factory in Uganda.
A 2011 Uganda care report released last month show that offers treatment to 28785 clients in twelve districts in Uganda and of these 15838 are already receiving Anti-retroviral therapy treatments while 12947 are still on septrine.
Uganda Cares is a partnership between the ministry of health and Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) with a guiding mission and core values to provide quality HIV/AIDS care to those in need, regardless of the ability to pay.
Another report by AHF released in 2010 show that in that same year over 170,000 individuals received HIV counseling and testing from all the Uganda Care centers spread in the country and over one million condoms were distribute, including 43,200 on valentine’s day, 2010.
This year also about one million condoms will be distributed as part of the prevention package to all Uganda cares clients as according to the organisations’ country director. And the organization is still continuing with campaign to encourage condom use among discordant couples.
“The challenge is that young people today have not really seen the real bite of HIV but we still reach them through our partners who can reach them in schools, and communities. The need is still great in that area but we are not giving up. We also intensify other approaches like abstinence among the young people and if you cannt then use the condom” says Mr.Magala.
IMPORTANT
30 per centage of people using condoms in Uganda
Condoms are free in Uganda except
95 per centage of condom in prevention of HIV, STI and pregnancy
35, 935 people tested for HIV in the 2008 Uganda cares ‘one million tests campaign.
2009 Uganda cares hosts the National World Aids commemoration day at Nakivubo stadium. This was also part of the ‘Testing Millions’ campaign that AHF was promoting internationally. By the end of 2009 the campaign had tested 240,829 individuals.
2010 Uganda cares launches the ‘Test and Treat’ Campaign during World Aids Day in Masaka.
While many Ugandans and the rest of the world are celebrating their romance on every February 14 as Valentine’s Day, the Aids HealthCare foundation Uganda Cares is marking the same day as the National Condom Day to educate and also remind the people about the importance of having protected sexual intercourse.
Currently, condoms are the only widely available, proven method for reducing transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during intercourse. Organizations around the world recommend condom use for the prevention of pregnancy and HIV/STIs.
BACKGROUND
According to Dr. Mina Ssali the public relations officer Uganda Cares, National Condom Day (NCD) is an annual health initiative. The campaign falls on February 14 Valentine's Day, an ideal time to encourage condom use when love and lust are in the air. NCD serves to remind people about the risks of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies, when people are celebrating romance, passion, love, lust and intimacy.
NCD was first marked in Uganda in 2009 by Uganda Cares in soroti. The organization with the ‘stay negative campaign’ wanted to promote the positive message of condom use while educating people about the need to practice safe sex. “Several organisations especially our partners around Uganda are now joining into the campaign to mark the NCD since 2009 with the message "say it with a condom", a nice way to say to a partner "I care about your health". The "say it with a condom" message has since developed a positive reputation during the merriment of romance on Valentine's Day” says Henry Magala the country director Uganda Cares.
He continues that, “Uganda Cares would like to remind people to take responsibility for their sexual health by using a condom during sexual activity. There are still many occasions where people are engaging in sexual risk taking behaviour. Some people are still embarrassed about condoms or they don't consider themselves at risk. The more at ease people feel talking about condoms, the more likely they are to use them”
According to Dr. Zainab Akol the Aids Control Program director in the ministry of health the purpose to mark this day is to Increase awareness and utilization of condoms for HIV prevention and promotion of reproductive health in the country.
“Most Ugandans know that condoms if correctly used can prevent HIV infection but fifty percent of our population are young people and few among them know the proper way of using them and even then among them, there are those who know who have failed to appreciate the condom. The day will be an opportunity to highlight the role of the condom in HIV prevention. ” says Ms. Akol.
According to Ms. Ssali, this year’s National Condom Day will be marked at Lukaya where Uganda cares is also launching a Test and Treat project where over one thousand people will receive free counseling, testing and also treatment of those with HIV will be given for free.
THE NEED FOR CONDOMS
According to Mr. Magala the country has for the last five years been importing from Korea an estimated 120 million condoms annually but compared to the needs and the infection rate and population growth rate this is still very little something that even Ms. Akol agrees to.
“We import about 120 million condoms a year but the consumption is high. A quick calculation is that every person has four condoms for a full year. The whole country is so lacking. Recently we received about ten million condoms from UNFPA and USAID but still that is not enough. That is also about a quarter a condom per a person” Ms. Akol Adds before saying that the government has no intentions of setting up a condom factory in Uganda.
A 2011 Uganda care report released last month show that offers treatment to 28785 clients in twelve districts in Uganda and of these 15838 are already receiving Anti-retroviral therapy treatments while 12947 are still on septrine.
Uganda Cares is a partnership between the ministry of health and Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) with a guiding mission and core values to provide quality HIV/AIDS care to those in need, regardless of the ability to pay.
Another report by AHF released in 2010 show that in that same year over 170,000 individuals received HIV counseling and testing from all the Uganda Care centers spread in the country and over one million condoms were distribute, including 43,200 on valentine’s day, 2010.
This year also about one million condoms will be distributed as part of the prevention package to all Uganda cares clients as according to the organisations’ country director. And the organization is still continuing with campaign to encourage condom use among discordant couples.
“The challenge is that young people today have not really seen the real bite of HIV but we still reach them through our partners who can reach them in schools, and communities. The need is still great in that area but we are not giving up. We also intensify other approaches like abstinence among the young people and if you cannt then use the condom” says Mr.Magala.
IMPORTANT
30 per centage of people using condoms in Uganda
Condoms are free in Uganda except
95 per centage of condom in prevention of HIV, STI and pregnancy
35, 935 people tested for HIV in the 2008 Uganda cares ‘one million tests campaign.
2009 Uganda cares hosts the National World Aids commemoration day at Nakivubo stadium. This was also part of the ‘Testing Millions’ campaign that AHF was promoting internationally. By the end of 2009 the campaign had tested 240,829 individuals.
2010 Uganda cares launches the ‘Test and Treat’ Campaign during World Aids Day in Masaka.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
What it means to ride a bicycle to work
I started serious riding when I had just finished my advanced level exams and the bike commonly known as a changer came was a gift from mum upon finishing my secondary school.
But for me the one hundred sixty thousand shillings bike meant more than just a ride it meant moving around the city and also while I searched for any vacation job opportunity.
And just as they say that where there is a will there is a way, soon I landed a job of a bus conductor and so I could wake up early in the morning like at six, jump on my changer and ride all the way from Nansana to Jinja stage in the old taxi park.
Waking up early was never a problem but the stingy morning breeze and also some times when it rained I would find my boss either gone or filled the bus with passengers and so I would not get the pay for calling for passengers and he would quarrel.
Some days like on weekends I would stay at home another opportunity to ride around town to places like Kibuye, Kansanga, Kasubi, Mpererwe to visit friends and relative and also going to church.
For anyone riding a bicycle will agree with me that that two wheel drive save a lot of transport and beats traffic jam better than a bodaboda.
I remember when taxi drivers had a sit down strike I saw a lot of people walking to and from work while I and other colleagues were. That particular day we had a meeting with certain no nonsense lecturer and many students missed out for they came late and the policy was she comes you, you do not enter.
Apart from saving transport and beating traffic jam and also being cheap to maintain I have discovered yet another benefit about riding to work daily. It offers a daily dose of exercise which keeps me healthy.
And I guess it because of such benefits that many people especially students are buying these changer bicycles a lot today than ever before. A lot of students at campus and high school today have opted for bicycles mainly for the purposes of saving.
Ridding to work also comes with challenges and costs especially on rainy days. It means that you must check your wardrobe in relation to the wheather forecast or else you will curse the day as the bike has pelted you with mud at the back. Apart from that even other road users like taxi drivers and bodaboda men think that being on a bicycle you don’t own even a single inch on the road.
They try all means possible to push you off the road. For instance mid this year I was ridding from kamwokya going back to Nansana. I decided to pass by kubbiri then join the northern bypass through Bwaise. There was heavy traffic jam and I dicided to go in the middle of the lanes and there was this bodaboda guy who came following and seemingly in a hurry as he kept on hooting and shouting that I give him way.
Eventually he took over I trailed at a high speed and immediately after joining Bombo road and before going through the fly over a pajero hit the pavement up the fly over and came spinning in the air from up the fly over coming down, only to hit a taxi full of people down in the lane and the bodaboda man and his passenger. Eight people died on spot, that evening I learnt to give way especially when someone seems to be in a hurry. Had I refused to give way I would be the one hit by the flying pajero.
On other incident, I was hit by a speeding car at around 9pm at Kampala northern bypass as I hurried back home from school but I was not so much injured.
Some workmates also sometimes do not take you serious when they get to know that you ride to work. I mean they give you that look which says a million sentences in a second.
But for me the one hundred sixty thousand shillings bike meant more than just a ride it meant moving around the city and also while I searched for any vacation job opportunity.
And just as they say that where there is a will there is a way, soon I landed a job of a bus conductor and so I could wake up early in the morning like at six, jump on my changer and ride all the way from Nansana to Jinja stage in the old taxi park.
Waking up early was never a problem but the stingy morning breeze and also some times when it rained I would find my boss either gone or filled the bus with passengers and so I would not get the pay for calling for passengers and he would quarrel.
Some days like on weekends I would stay at home another opportunity to ride around town to places like Kibuye, Kansanga, Kasubi, Mpererwe to visit friends and relative and also going to church.
For anyone riding a bicycle will agree with me that that two wheel drive save a lot of transport and beats traffic jam better than a bodaboda.
I remember when taxi drivers had a sit down strike I saw a lot of people walking to and from work while I and other colleagues were. That particular day we had a meeting with certain no nonsense lecturer and many students missed out for they came late and the policy was she comes you, you do not enter.
Apart from saving transport and beating traffic jam and also being cheap to maintain I have discovered yet another benefit about riding to work daily. It offers a daily dose of exercise which keeps me healthy.
And I guess it because of such benefits that many people especially students are buying these changer bicycles a lot today than ever before. A lot of students at campus and high school today have opted for bicycles mainly for the purposes of saving.
Ridding to work also comes with challenges and costs especially on rainy days. It means that you must check your wardrobe in relation to the wheather forecast or else you will curse the day as the bike has pelted you with mud at the back. Apart from that even other road users like taxi drivers and bodaboda men think that being on a bicycle you don’t own even a single inch on the road.
They try all means possible to push you off the road. For instance mid this year I was ridding from kamwokya going back to Nansana. I decided to pass by kubbiri then join the northern bypass through Bwaise. There was heavy traffic jam and I dicided to go in the middle of the lanes and there was this bodaboda guy who came following and seemingly in a hurry as he kept on hooting and shouting that I give him way.
Eventually he took over I trailed at a high speed and immediately after joining Bombo road and before going through the fly over a pajero hit the pavement up the fly over and came spinning in the air from up the fly over coming down, only to hit a taxi full of people down in the lane and the bodaboda man and his passenger. Eight people died on spot, that evening I learnt to give way especially when someone seems to be in a hurry. Had I refused to give way I would be the one hit by the flying pajero.
On other incident, I was hit by a speeding car at around 9pm at Kampala northern bypass as I hurried back home from school but I was not so much injured.
Some workmates also sometimes do not take you serious when they get to know that you ride to work. I mean they give you that look which says a million sentences in a second.
Monday, December 12, 2011
ORAL HEALTH PROBLEMS; HOW SAFE AREYOU?
BY BRIAN SSENOGA KIMULI
At eighty seven years Yusuf Kibirige still can ride bicycle, dig, still seeing well and has all his teeth intact, he pities his seventeen years old granddaughter who has just had one of her teeth removed due to reasons he himself cannot understand only to say that these are bad times for the young owns. He even asks if he will have any teeth by the time she clocks thirty.
According to experts our mouths are full of bacteria, which combine with small food particles and saliva to form a sticky film known as plaque, which builds up on the teeth.
When one consumes food and drink that is high in carbohydrates (sugary or starchy), the bacteria turn the carbohydrates into the energy they need, producing acid at the same time and the acid in plaque begins to break down the surface of the tooth.
The plaque will first start to erode the enamel. Over time, a small hole known as a cavity can develop on the surface which often causes toothache.
Once cavities have formed in the enamel, the plaque and bacteria can reach the dentine, as the dentine is softer than the enamel, the process of tooth decay speeds up.
Without treatment, the plaque and bacteria will then enter the pulp and at this stage, your nerves will be exposed to the bacteria, making your tooth very painful and this when many think of having their tooth removed.
According to Dr. Juliet Nabbanja a principle Dental Surgeon at the school of public health, Mulago, dental problems are considered as one of the oral health problems which she says they are on the rise in Uganda than any other part of the world.
In commemoration of the world oral health day on December 9th, a survey conducted by the ministry of health on oral health in Uganda established 51 percent of the population have ever experienced some form of oral disease, 76 percent of children below five years and 93 percent of adults in Uganda suffer from tooth decay while only 35 percent of the population have access to dental care.
Dr. Nabbanja explains that oral diseases are dieases which affect the mouth and its related parts. And the most common among Ugandans toothaches, gum diseases, facial trauma, jaw trauma, oral cancers among others.
“We also found out that 71 percent Ugandans are affected by gum diseases, 13 percent get facial trauma, 13 percent get jaw traumas while three percent of Ugandans are infected with oral cancers. This presents serious consequences on the economy since people affected are always unable to fully utilise their potential to carryout economic duties” says Dr. Nabbanja.
Tooth decay typically occurs in the teeth at the back of the mouth, known as the molars and premolars. These are large flat teeth used to chew food. And are harder to clean properly due to their size and shape therefore it is easy for small particles of food to get stuck on and in-between these teeth.
The world oral health day was established by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the World Dental Federation to boost awareness of oral health and its impact on general health and wellbeing. It is marked every twelveth day of September with global, regional and national activities related to oral health and this year’s theme chosen by World Dental Federation was Non-Communicable Diseases.
However, according to Annet Kutesa a dental surgeon, oral diseases are considered as one of the several Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
“Research has shown that oral diseases are highly related to lifestyle factors which are risks to most chronic diseases and NCDs. Oral diseases are currently a major public health threat owing to their prevalence and incidence in Uganda” says Dr. Kutesa
She says that the most prominent NCDs include cardiovascular or heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases all sharing common risk factors with oral diseases, preventable risk factors that are related to lifestyle.
“Dietary habits are significant to the development of Non-communicable Diseases and influence the development of dental caries. For instance, tobacco use is estimated to account for over 90 percent of cancer of the mouth, and it’s associated with aggravated dental breakdown, poorer standards of oral hygiene and also premature tooth loss” she continues.
To combat the increase of oral health related diseases a national health policy on oral health education and integration of oral health services has been developed.
Risk factors for oral health problems.
There are a number of identified risk factors for oral health problems, which are outlined below.
Diet.
Consuming food and drink that is high in carbohydrates will increase your risk of tooth decay. Tooth decay is often associated with sweet and sticky food and drink, such as chocolate, sweets, sugar and carbonated drinks.
Poor oral hygiene.
If you do not regularly brush your teeth and/ or clean your mouth, you are at a higher risk. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day or rinse your mouth every after eating.
Smoking
Smokers have a higher chance of developing oral cancer as the tobacco smoke interferes with the production of saliva, which helps to keep the surface of your mouth cavity wet. Studies have also shown that passive smoking can also be a risk factor, particularly for children.
Others include; Dry mouth, Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia can increase the risk of oral health and frequent Gastro-esophageal refluxes a digestive condition where stomach acid leaks back up out of the stomach and into the throat, sometimes entering the mouth.
NUMBERS.
300 dentists registered with Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners’ council
700 public health dental officers trained by government in the year 2010/11
125 government health facilities offering dental services.
At eighty seven years Yusuf Kibirige still can ride bicycle, dig, still seeing well and has all his teeth intact, he pities his seventeen years old granddaughter who has just had one of her teeth removed due to reasons he himself cannot understand only to say that these are bad times for the young owns. He even asks if he will have any teeth by the time she clocks thirty.
According to experts our mouths are full of bacteria, which combine with small food particles and saliva to form a sticky film known as plaque, which builds up on the teeth.
When one consumes food and drink that is high in carbohydrates (sugary or starchy), the bacteria turn the carbohydrates into the energy they need, producing acid at the same time and the acid in plaque begins to break down the surface of the tooth.
The plaque will first start to erode the enamel. Over time, a small hole known as a cavity can develop on the surface which often causes toothache.
Once cavities have formed in the enamel, the plaque and bacteria can reach the dentine, as the dentine is softer than the enamel, the process of tooth decay speeds up.
Without treatment, the plaque and bacteria will then enter the pulp and at this stage, your nerves will be exposed to the bacteria, making your tooth very painful and this when many think of having their tooth removed.
According to Dr. Juliet Nabbanja a principle Dental Surgeon at the school of public health, Mulago, dental problems are considered as one of the oral health problems which she says they are on the rise in Uganda than any other part of the world.
In commemoration of the world oral health day on December 9th, a survey conducted by the ministry of health on oral health in Uganda established 51 percent of the population have ever experienced some form of oral disease, 76 percent of children below five years and 93 percent of adults in Uganda suffer from tooth decay while only 35 percent of the population have access to dental care.
Dr. Nabbanja explains that oral diseases are dieases which affect the mouth and its related parts. And the most common among Ugandans toothaches, gum diseases, facial trauma, jaw trauma, oral cancers among others.
“We also found out that 71 percent Ugandans are affected by gum diseases, 13 percent get facial trauma, 13 percent get jaw traumas while three percent of Ugandans are infected with oral cancers. This presents serious consequences on the economy since people affected are always unable to fully utilise their potential to carryout economic duties” says Dr. Nabbanja.
Tooth decay typically occurs in the teeth at the back of the mouth, known as the molars and premolars. These are large flat teeth used to chew food. And are harder to clean properly due to their size and shape therefore it is easy for small particles of food to get stuck on and in-between these teeth.
The world oral health day was established by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the World Dental Federation to boost awareness of oral health and its impact on general health and wellbeing. It is marked every twelveth day of September with global, regional and national activities related to oral health and this year’s theme chosen by World Dental Federation was Non-Communicable Diseases.
However, according to Annet Kutesa a dental surgeon, oral diseases are considered as one of the several Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
“Research has shown that oral diseases are highly related to lifestyle factors which are risks to most chronic diseases and NCDs. Oral diseases are currently a major public health threat owing to their prevalence and incidence in Uganda” says Dr. Kutesa
She says that the most prominent NCDs include cardiovascular or heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases all sharing common risk factors with oral diseases, preventable risk factors that are related to lifestyle.
“Dietary habits are significant to the development of Non-communicable Diseases and influence the development of dental caries. For instance, tobacco use is estimated to account for over 90 percent of cancer of the mouth, and it’s associated with aggravated dental breakdown, poorer standards of oral hygiene and also premature tooth loss” she continues.
To combat the increase of oral health related diseases a national health policy on oral health education and integration of oral health services has been developed.
Risk factors for oral health problems.
There are a number of identified risk factors for oral health problems, which are outlined below.
Diet.
Consuming food and drink that is high in carbohydrates will increase your risk of tooth decay. Tooth decay is often associated with sweet and sticky food and drink, such as chocolate, sweets, sugar and carbonated drinks.
Poor oral hygiene.
If you do not regularly brush your teeth and/ or clean your mouth, you are at a higher risk. You should brush your teeth at least twice a day or rinse your mouth every after eating.
Smoking
Smokers have a higher chance of developing oral cancer as the tobacco smoke interferes with the production of saliva, which helps to keep the surface of your mouth cavity wet. Studies have also shown that passive smoking can also be a risk factor, particularly for children.
Others include; Dry mouth, Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia can increase the risk of oral health and frequent Gastro-esophageal refluxes a digestive condition where stomach acid leaks back up out of the stomach and into the throat, sometimes entering the mouth.
NUMBERS.
300 dentists registered with Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners’ council
700 public health dental officers trained by government in the year 2010/11
125 government health facilities offering dental services.
Friday, November 18, 2011
RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS CAUSING MAJOR IMPACT ON UGANDANS.
“I don't know if you realize what a great deal of influence you gave me all my life. I just want to let you know how important you've been to me and how much I'll always love you. Thank you for loving me” said Innocent Mwanja at his graduation in gratitude to Children of Uganda, a religious organization founded in the early 1990s by the Daughters of Charity to fight for child rights in conflict areas, and promote children’s welfare in Uganda.
Just like Innocent many people in Uganda today owe their wellbeing to such religious organisations helping the needy most of who, happen to be orphans, widows and/or elderly.
It is also on record that major religious organizations in Uganda like Uganda joint Christian council have become significantly involved in AIDS prevention, campaigning for equal rights among people, and others like Sanyu Babies’ home have specialized in offering services to the needy children who are dumped on garbage pits.
According to information on Sanyu babies’ home website www.sanyubabies.com, there are over 2.3 million known orphans in Uganda more than any other nation in the world today. The home receives children ranging in age from a few hours to two years, with no known parents or relatives, and is dedicated to providing these children with love, security, medical care and education. We provide them with a Home.
According to Ms. Sylvia Atungosa, the coordinator NGO activities in Karamoja region, Faith Based Organisations are joining many other actors in the global fight against HIV/AIDS and can offer our specific resources and strengths.
“It is fair to say that FBOs have often played a positive role in Uganda’s fight against HIV/AIDS. Involving religious leaders early on in the planning and implementation of national AIDS strategies have seen dramatic changes in the course of the epidemic. For example, religious communities in karamoja, working hand in hand with AIDS service organizations and the government, have championed peer education, counselling and home care programmes” she says.
Iga Aisha of Lucia Youth Development Foundation (LUYDEFO), an organization founded to help Moslem girls in six districts says that over 12000 needy primary school pupils have been assisted by her organization to attain education since it started five years ago.
Anglican Bishop joseph Abura of Karamoja Diocese and a member of Moroto-Nakapiripirit Religiuos Leaders Initiative for Peace (MONARIP) adds to say that some religious organisations in the war torn areas of northern Uganda are still fully engaged in the rebuilding of peace in the area, and others are more in the construction industry.
“More than 5,000 children who had been abducted by the LRA have been reunited with their families after receiving basic medical care, psychosocial counseling and family-tracing support in reception centers put by the church” he says.
In Kampala alone apart from preaching the gospel several religious or faith based organisations have been involved feeding and getting disadvantaged children off the streets turning them into recognizable citizens today.
In the area of health most major hospitals in the country are founded on religious backgrounds health facilities like Rubaga hospital, Mengo Hospital, Kibuli Muslim hospital, Nsambya Hospital to mention but a few. These are known to offer excellent services to the nation just to complement to overly stretched government health facilities.
Just like Innocent many people in Uganda today owe their wellbeing to such religious organisations helping the needy most of who, happen to be orphans, widows and/or elderly.
It is also on record that major religious organizations in Uganda like Uganda joint Christian council have become significantly involved in AIDS prevention, campaigning for equal rights among people, and others like Sanyu Babies’ home have specialized in offering services to the needy children who are dumped on garbage pits.
According to information on Sanyu babies’ home website www.sanyubabies.com, there are over 2.3 million known orphans in Uganda more than any other nation in the world today. The home receives children ranging in age from a few hours to two years, with no known parents or relatives, and is dedicated to providing these children with love, security, medical care and education. We provide them with a Home.
According to Ms. Sylvia Atungosa, the coordinator NGO activities in Karamoja region, Faith Based Organisations are joining many other actors in the global fight against HIV/AIDS and can offer our specific resources and strengths.
“It is fair to say that FBOs have often played a positive role in Uganda’s fight against HIV/AIDS. Involving religious leaders early on in the planning and implementation of national AIDS strategies have seen dramatic changes in the course of the epidemic. For example, religious communities in karamoja, working hand in hand with AIDS service organizations and the government, have championed peer education, counselling and home care programmes” she says.
Iga Aisha of Lucia Youth Development Foundation (LUYDEFO), an organization founded to help Moslem girls in six districts says that over 12000 needy primary school pupils have been assisted by her organization to attain education since it started five years ago.
Anglican Bishop joseph Abura of Karamoja Diocese and a member of Moroto-Nakapiripirit Religiuos Leaders Initiative for Peace (MONARIP) adds to say that some religious organisations in the war torn areas of northern Uganda are still fully engaged in the rebuilding of peace in the area, and others are more in the construction industry.
“More than 5,000 children who had been abducted by the LRA have been reunited with their families after receiving basic medical care, psychosocial counseling and family-tracing support in reception centers put by the church” he says.
In Kampala alone apart from preaching the gospel several religious or faith based organisations have been involved feeding and getting disadvantaged children off the streets turning them into recognizable citizens today.
In the area of health most major hospitals in the country are founded on religious backgrounds health facilities like Rubaga hospital, Mengo Hospital, Kibuli Muslim hospital, Nsambya Hospital to mention but a few. These are known to offer excellent services to the nation just to complement to overly stretched government health facilities.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
MULAGO STACK WITH FAKE MACHINES
“Please,we beg you forgive us but the machine is not functioning, I think you will come back next week. It will be fixed and I will be glad to work on you” rang the voice of a nurse at Level 5C Mulago Hospital.
The announcement dazed Nalongo Sarai 55, of Busujju had been diagnosed with a problem of the heart and was advised to take treatment with effect.
When asked for how long the condition has been like this, the nurse on duty who preferred anonymity explained that the Electrocardiography (ECG) machine was always on and off.
“This machine is always on and off, it works for two days and take a week on leave I think they procured old machines to work on peoples’ hearts yet their ‘hearts’ are already rotten . It is giving me a lot of trouble. Some patients even get tired and abuse me but I have nothing to do” said the nurse.
ECG treatment is an across the thorax or chest interpretation of the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time, as detected by electrodes attached to the outer surface of the skin and recorded by a device external to the body. The recording produced by this noninvasive procedure is termed an electrocardiogram.
Thus, patients who needed such service resorted to self-pity and complaining about the ineffectiveness of the institution as they slowly strolled down the steps from level 5c to go and have services and treatment from the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) which according to a highly placed source in the Mulago Hospital administration must be paid for with a sum of at least Shs 200,000/=
However, according to Dr Asuman Lukwago Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, this is not the only malfunctioning equipment procured recently by the hospital administration.
“Government has accessed Mulago for the past years and it has not been performing as expected. What alarms government is the procurement of dummy equipment such as the CT Scan which cannot even work on three patients a day” he said.
“We have found out that most machines procured are fake and instead of treating patients they cause more damage. These machines like that CT Scan emits a lot of radiations which cause cancer and so we do not know how much damage it has caused our patients” added Mr Lukwago Asuman while addressing journalists at Mulago on Friday about the state of the National Referral hospital and the new hospital administration headed by Dr Byarugaba Baterana.
According to Mr Lukwago, the fake CT scan was bought at a cost of US 800,000 dollars late last year and worked for only three months.
“We have also found out that about Shs 44 million is nowhere to be seen and was not accountable for by the previous administration yet they claimed to have had supplies from various companies which is not true. Those thieves executed a lot of fraudulent deals conniving with some of the suppliers which eventually put a lot of peoples’ lives on the line” he continued.
He warns that the ministry has taken a tough stand to evacuate the previous Mulago hospital administration led by Dr Edward Ddumba replacing him with Mr Byarugaba Baterana as investigations into the matter are in the final stages and government is calculating the costs of disposal of the fake machines and buying new ones.
MORE EQUIPMENT
Apparently, Mulago has received 900 beds, at an estimated cost of Shs 690,000 each, 300 mattresses, 75 state of the art blood pressure machines from government and a donation of US 88 million dollars from the African Development Bank which is going to be used to refurbish the hospital and two other health centers which include Kawempe, and Kiruddu health centers.
This comes at a time when plans of building five other hospitals around Kampala including an only women complex at Mulago are still premature.
The announcement dazed Nalongo Sarai 55, of Busujju had been diagnosed with a problem of the heart and was advised to take treatment with effect.
When asked for how long the condition has been like this, the nurse on duty who preferred anonymity explained that the Electrocardiography (ECG) machine was always on and off.
“This machine is always on and off, it works for two days and take a week on leave I think they procured old machines to work on peoples’ hearts yet their ‘hearts’ are already rotten . It is giving me a lot of trouble. Some patients even get tired and abuse me but I have nothing to do” said the nurse.
ECG treatment is an across the thorax or chest interpretation of the electrical activity of the heart over a period of time, as detected by electrodes attached to the outer surface of the skin and recorded by a device external to the body. The recording produced by this noninvasive procedure is termed an electrocardiogram.
Thus, patients who needed such service resorted to self-pity and complaining about the ineffectiveness of the institution as they slowly strolled down the steps from level 5c to go and have services and treatment from the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) which according to a highly placed source in the Mulago Hospital administration must be paid for with a sum of at least Shs 200,000/=
However, according to Dr Asuman Lukwago Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, this is not the only malfunctioning equipment procured recently by the hospital administration.
“Government has accessed Mulago for the past years and it has not been performing as expected. What alarms government is the procurement of dummy equipment such as the CT Scan which cannot even work on three patients a day” he said.
“We have found out that most machines procured are fake and instead of treating patients they cause more damage. These machines like that CT Scan emits a lot of radiations which cause cancer and so we do not know how much damage it has caused our patients” added Mr Lukwago Asuman while addressing journalists at Mulago on Friday about the state of the National Referral hospital and the new hospital administration headed by Dr Byarugaba Baterana.
According to Mr Lukwago, the fake CT scan was bought at a cost of US 800,000 dollars late last year and worked for only three months.
“We have also found out that about Shs 44 million is nowhere to be seen and was not accountable for by the previous administration yet they claimed to have had supplies from various companies which is not true. Those thieves executed a lot of fraudulent deals conniving with some of the suppliers which eventually put a lot of peoples’ lives on the line” he continued.
He warns that the ministry has taken a tough stand to evacuate the previous Mulago hospital administration led by Dr Edward Ddumba replacing him with Mr Byarugaba Baterana as investigations into the matter are in the final stages and government is calculating the costs of disposal of the fake machines and buying new ones.
MORE EQUIPMENT
Apparently, Mulago has received 900 beds, at an estimated cost of Shs 690,000 each, 300 mattresses, 75 state of the art blood pressure machines from government and a donation of US 88 million dollars from the African Development Bank which is going to be used to refurbish the hospital and two other health centers which include Kawempe, and Kiruddu health centers.
This comes at a time when plans of building five other hospitals around Kampala including an only women complex at Mulago are still premature.
Monday, September 5, 2011
MULAGO READY FOR INVESTIGATIONS
MULAGO READY FOR INVESTIGATIONS
Following the appearance of Dr Diana Atwine the head of the state house Drug Monitoring Unit before parliament’s social services committee last week where she accused Mulago Hospital Administration of corruption and misuse of office coupled with constant inflating and procurement of faulty bio-medical machines, Mulago hospital has come out to show their commitment and readiness for an investigation as suggested by the members of parliament on the social services committee.
In an interview with The Razor, Mulago Hospital spokes person Dan Atwijukire Kimosho the hospital had agreed with the law makers to pay a courtesy visit to the national referral hospital and make a few findings on their own.
“The official position is that the Members of parliament come and make a few findings on their own not just to go by hearsay and that we agreed the last time we met with them” said Dan Atwijukire. “But if they want to make a surprise visit or mount an investigation we are still ready for such, for we believe our hands are clean and even if we touched white linen a thousand times it will still remain clean” he added.
However, he seems to point an accusing finger at the previous administration which was headed by Dr Edward Ddumba when he says that that all kinds of mismanagement if any should be blamed not on the current administrators.
“Let me tell you the current administration is barely a year in office so I wonder how one can say we are corrupt, if there is any form of corruption then it is the previous regime to be investigated, actually we are making the once crooked lines straight” he said.
According to a reliable source in the administration, Mulago hospital used about 800 million to procure a CT scan which worked for only two months before breaking down; other machines which were procured at high costs include some incubators which are also faulty, corbus blood testing machines which have never worked among others.
Recently speaking to this paper on phone, Dr Diana Atwine said that Mulago hospital lacked priority setting.
“They just do not know how to set priorities, all they do is spend money on workshops and conferences abroad yet they could use that money to buy equipment which is up to standard. Then they later complain of having little resources, but then where the accountability for the little resources, resources have never been sufficient that is the problem everywhere. Let them show us what they have done with the little they get from government” she said
Apparently Mulago is directed by Dr Byarugaba Baterana a man who served as deputy director under Ddumba’s four years tenure. More still Dr Birabwa Male the deputy director was for long the head of department pediatrics surgery even during the last regime.
According to a reliable source in the hospital administration, some administrators only changed posts but never went out of the hospital.
When asked if the current administration is ready for any investigations the hospital spokes man expressed his readiness.
“An investigation does not need one to be ready to be investigated, it is like a court hearing, you wait for the investigator to declare you either innocent or guilty but what I know and stress is that is the previous administration to pin against any mischief not the current one” he said.
Following the appearance of Dr Diana Atwine the head of the state house Drug Monitoring Unit before parliament’s social services committee last week where she accused Mulago Hospital Administration of corruption and misuse of office coupled with constant inflating and procurement of faulty bio-medical machines, Mulago hospital has come out to show their commitment and readiness for an investigation as suggested by the members of parliament on the social services committee.
In an interview with The Razor, Mulago Hospital spokes person Dan Atwijukire Kimosho the hospital had agreed with the law makers to pay a courtesy visit to the national referral hospital and make a few findings on their own.
“The official position is that the Members of parliament come and make a few findings on their own not just to go by hearsay and that we agreed the last time we met with them” said Dan Atwijukire. “But if they want to make a surprise visit or mount an investigation we are still ready for such, for we believe our hands are clean and even if we touched white linen a thousand times it will still remain clean” he added.
However, he seems to point an accusing finger at the previous administration which was headed by Dr Edward Ddumba when he says that that all kinds of mismanagement if any should be blamed not on the current administrators.
“Let me tell you the current administration is barely a year in office so I wonder how one can say we are corrupt, if there is any form of corruption then it is the previous regime to be investigated, actually we are making the once crooked lines straight” he said.
According to a reliable source in the administration, Mulago hospital used about 800 million to procure a CT scan which worked for only two months before breaking down; other machines which were procured at high costs include some incubators which are also faulty, corbus blood testing machines which have never worked among others.
Recently speaking to this paper on phone, Dr Diana Atwine said that Mulago hospital lacked priority setting.
“They just do not know how to set priorities, all they do is spend money on workshops and conferences abroad yet they could use that money to buy equipment which is up to standard. Then they later complain of having little resources, but then where the accountability for the little resources, resources have never been sufficient that is the problem everywhere. Let them show us what they have done with the little they get from government” she said
Apparently Mulago is directed by Dr Byarugaba Baterana a man who served as deputy director under Ddumba’s four years tenure. More still Dr Birabwa Male the deputy director was for long the head of department pediatrics surgery even during the last regime.
According to a reliable source in the hospital administration, some administrators only changed posts but never went out of the hospital.
When asked if the current administration is ready for any investigations the hospital spokes man expressed his readiness.
“An investigation does not need one to be ready to be investigated, it is like a court hearing, you wait for the investigator to declare you either innocent or guilty but what I know and stress is that is the previous administration to pin against any mischief not the current one” he said.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Mulago runs out of formalin, embalming fees hiked
Formalin, a solution usually used in the treatment of dead bodies has become a scarce item- one of those lacking in the histology or pathology wing of the national referral hospital and now workers there have resorted to buying it themselves from outside the hospital gates hence, a lucrative business has emerged as they heavily charge those who come for their dead.
An insider at the mortuary told The Razor last week that the hospital ran out of this solution four months ago giving pathologists a fertile business opportunity. “You see, for quite some time now the hospital does not have formalin and so in order to keep working efficiently we buy it ourselves and do the service for whoever wants it done,” said one of the workers at Mulago Hospital mortuary who preferred anonymity for he is not authorized to speak about the matter.
He continued that even when one of the doctors at Mulago loses a relative, he has to buy the solution and take it to them for embalming.
“What I am telling you is the truth, even those guys up there (doctors) buy it from outside or from us if they need any service but you can’t find formalin any where here,” he added.
The Razor has also learnt that for about four months now, the freezers at the mortuary have not been working. According to a reliable source from the Private Patients’ department at the hospital, these freezers broke down months ago giving the workers at the mortuary a hard time to preserve the dead bodies and they also resorted to hiking the fees paid by the grieving relatives to have their dead.
According to a source, the freezers broke down due to poor maintenance, a thing which the assistant public relations officer and administrator private patients scheme Sarah Mulongo refuted. “Of course it is not true that they were down due to poor maintenance, instead they were being cleaned,” she said and quickly added that the charges are made according to the way one wanted his relative’s body embalmed.
“I cannot clarify on that but what I know is that one is charged according to the period he wants the body preserved. I mean there is long term and short term postmortem,” she added.
However, one of the victims of this unlawful extortion is Patrick Kagenda, a journalist. He asserts that when he lost his twins he was charged ShsI50, 000 after pleading with the mortuary officials.
“I lost twins two years ago and I was made to pay ShsI50,000 without a receipt,” he says. Kagenda adds that getting a body from the freezers is never a joke. “They told me at first that the bodies were not there and sent me to city council mortuary until one of them told me to show some ‘commitment’ which meant I had to pay something and eventually I was made to pay that much.
Getting a body out of those freezers is not a joke,” he adds. Sharifa Nnamuli, an elderly woman from Kiboga also fell victim last week; she told this paper that one is charged according to his/her appearance. “Actually I do not know the exact fee” she said.
The public is subjected to double grief as they are daily being extorted. The policy is if one dies at the hospital ward, the body is taken to the mortuary where it must be accessed free of charge but the condition is otherwise.
“Now they are asking for ShsI50,000 which I do not have, what will a poor person do in this country?” said Nnamuli.
Apparently, the notice board reads that embalming charges are ShsI0, 000 for children, Shs65,000 short term and Shs85,000 long term for adults.
When contacted, the head of mortuary services Dr Dan Wamala was reluctant to comment on the matter saying he had no clue about what was happening.
“I have no clue about that and I am not authorised to give any information about a government institution go, to the public relations officer,” he said.
An insider at the mortuary told The Razor last week that the hospital ran out of this solution four months ago giving pathologists a fertile business opportunity. “You see, for quite some time now the hospital does not have formalin and so in order to keep working efficiently we buy it ourselves and do the service for whoever wants it done,” said one of the workers at Mulago Hospital mortuary who preferred anonymity for he is not authorized to speak about the matter.
He continued that even when one of the doctors at Mulago loses a relative, he has to buy the solution and take it to them for embalming.
“What I am telling you is the truth, even those guys up there (doctors) buy it from outside or from us if they need any service but you can’t find formalin any where here,” he added.
The Razor has also learnt that for about four months now, the freezers at the mortuary have not been working. According to a reliable source from the Private Patients’ department at the hospital, these freezers broke down months ago giving the workers at the mortuary a hard time to preserve the dead bodies and they also resorted to hiking the fees paid by the grieving relatives to have their dead.
According to a source, the freezers broke down due to poor maintenance, a thing which the assistant public relations officer and administrator private patients scheme Sarah Mulongo refuted. “Of course it is not true that they were down due to poor maintenance, instead they were being cleaned,” she said and quickly added that the charges are made according to the way one wanted his relative’s body embalmed.
“I cannot clarify on that but what I know is that one is charged according to the period he wants the body preserved. I mean there is long term and short term postmortem,” she added.
However, one of the victims of this unlawful extortion is Patrick Kagenda, a journalist. He asserts that when he lost his twins he was charged ShsI50, 000 after pleading with the mortuary officials.
“I lost twins two years ago and I was made to pay ShsI50,000 without a receipt,” he says. Kagenda adds that getting a body from the freezers is never a joke. “They told me at first that the bodies were not there and sent me to city council mortuary until one of them told me to show some ‘commitment’ which meant I had to pay something and eventually I was made to pay that much.
Getting a body out of those freezers is not a joke,” he adds. Sharifa Nnamuli, an elderly woman from Kiboga also fell victim last week; she told this paper that one is charged according to his/her appearance. “Actually I do not know the exact fee” she said.
The public is subjected to double grief as they are daily being extorted. The policy is if one dies at the hospital ward, the body is taken to the mortuary where it must be accessed free of charge but the condition is otherwise.
“Now they are asking for ShsI50,000 which I do not have, what will a poor person do in this country?” said Nnamuli.
Apparently, the notice board reads that embalming charges are ShsI0, 000 for children, Shs65,000 short term and Shs85,000 long term for adults.
When contacted, the head of mortuary services Dr Dan Wamala was reluctant to comment on the matter saying he had no clue about what was happening.
“I have no clue about that and I am not authorised to give any information about a government institution go, to the public relations officer,” he said.
Friday, February 18, 2011
WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW WILL HURT YOU
BY BRIAN SSENOGA KIMULI
When I was still in high school my one of my teachers told a story of a woman who had a sick child so she went to the hospital where a doctor prescribed some medicine and told her to go and buy. The lady bought the syrup and on the bottle was directions for use saying; shake the bottle before you give the baby, very clear instruction. The woman instead did the reverse, it was a neighbor who told her that she was supposed to shake the bottle first and then give the medicine to the baby so as the medicine could be effective. In despair the poor woman opted to shaking the baby and eventually the baby died.
In such a scenario who is to blame for the baby’s death? I blame neither the woman nor the doctor who did the prescription but ignorance. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge about anything and this is what affects many people in Uganda, Africa and the world. One wise man once said “each and every one of us is ignorant but on different subjects” but I believe there is always a thin line between knowledge and ignorance and when you don’t know something you surely do not know.
Recently I was in a restaurant and there these two young men arguing about something and one asked a question to which another had what I would call a hurting reply ‘I don’t care and I don’t want to know’ Damn. Perhaps, living in a dark world of ignorance works for some people but as a student in search for excellence one ought to know each and everything not only what the teachers teach you in class but hunger for information for that is what brings knowledge. We go to school to learn and learning means acquiring new knowledge to add on what you know by narrowing what you do not know. Of course you cannot learn what you know already. As a student in secondary and even at university you need to care about knowing everything that is happening and read every readable material for “no fool writes” as Angelo Bbosa puts it in one of his books. You never know when that knowledge will help you.
A related incident is that of a twelve year old boy who instantly became rich out of the September eleventh terrorist attack on the world trade centre. The boy was testing his new camera on a plane flying over the city which ended up crashing into the building. Television stations all over America needed the pictures and had to buy footage from him. Out of a crisis he made money. He had information dearly craved for by the world at that time. Avoid shaking the baby by working against your ignorance for what you don’t know will hurt you soon or later.
ssenogabrian@yahoo.com
When I was still in high school my one of my teachers told a story of a woman who had a sick child so she went to the hospital where a doctor prescribed some medicine and told her to go and buy. The lady bought the syrup and on the bottle was directions for use saying; shake the bottle before you give the baby, very clear instruction. The woman instead did the reverse, it was a neighbor who told her that she was supposed to shake the bottle first and then give the medicine to the baby so as the medicine could be effective. In despair the poor woman opted to shaking the baby and eventually the baby died.
In such a scenario who is to blame for the baby’s death? I blame neither the woman nor the doctor who did the prescription but ignorance. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge about anything and this is what affects many people in Uganda, Africa and the world. One wise man once said “each and every one of us is ignorant but on different subjects” but I believe there is always a thin line between knowledge and ignorance and when you don’t know something you surely do not know.
Recently I was in a restaurant and there these two young men arguing about something and one asked a question to which another had what I would call a hurting reply ‘I don’t care and I don’t want to know’ Damn. Perhaps, living in a dark world of ignorance works for some people but as a student in search for excellence one ought to know each and everything not only what the teachers teach you in class but hunger for information for that is what brings knowledge. We go to school to learn and learning means acquiring new knowledge to add on what you know by narrowing what you do not know. Of course you cannot learn what you know already. As a student in secondary and even at university you need to care about knowing everything that is happening and read every readable material for “no fool writes” as Angelo Bbosa puts it in one of his books. You never know when that knowledge will help you.
A related incident is that of a twelve year old boy who instantly became rich out of the September eleventh terrorist attack on the world trade centre. The boy was testing his new camera on a plane flying over the city which ended up crashing into the building. Television stations all over America needed the pictures and had to buy footage from him. Out of a crisis he made money. He had information dearly craved for by the world at that time. Avoid shaking the baby by working against your ignorance for what you don’t know will hurt you soon or later.
ssenogabrian@yahoo.com
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