http://www.irinnews.org/Updated everydayen-gbTue, 14 May 2013 15:31:50 GMTTue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - Ugandan children are going unimmunized as the country grapples with persistent and widespread vaccine shortages, the result of insufficient funds and inefficient procurement and supply systems, officials say.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/98033/Uganda-grapples-with-paediatric-vaccine-shortagesKAMPALA 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - Ugandan children are going unimmunized as the country grapples with persistent and widespread vaccine shortages, the result of insufficient funds and inefficient procurement and supply systems, officials say.]]>Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 08 May 2013 (IRIN) - We’ve read the stories: From bedridden patients sending text messages to their health workers, to young people receiving HIV prevention messages via SMS, the mobile phone seems to have morphed from communications device to essential life-saver. But is the evidence there yet that mHealth is an effective health delivery intervention for the developing world?http://www.irinnews.org/Report/98001/Analysis-Sending-the-right-message-on-mHealthNAIROBI 08 May 2013 (IRIN) - We’ve read the stories: From bedridden patients sending text messages to their health workers, to young people receiving HIV prevention messages via SMS, the mobile phone seems to have morphed from communications device to essential life-saver. But is the evidence there yet that mHealth is an effective health delivery intervention for the developing world?]]>Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 03 May 2013 (IRIN) - In Uganda, a new pilot project seeks to understand the threat climate change poses to coffee, which will enable growers to enhance the crop's resilience to extreme weather events.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97971/Aiming-for-climate-change-resilient-coffee-in-UgandaKAMPALA 03 May 2013 (IRIN) - In Uganda, a new pilot project seeks to understand the threat climate change poses to coffee, which will enable growers to enhance the crop's resilience to extreme weather events.]]>Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 23 April 2013 (IRIN) - Uganda's government and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have launched a pilot mobile court system to improve access to justice for victims of crimes in Nakivale, the country's oldest and largest refugee settlement.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97903/Uganda-pilots-mobile-courts-for-refugeesKAMPALA 23 April 2013 (IRIN) - Uganda's government and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have launched a pilot mobile court system to improve access to justice for victims of crimes in Nakivale, the country's oldest and largest refugee settlement.]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Unusually heavy rains have caused havoc across much of east Africa, displacing thousands of people and damaging important infrastructure.75mm) were again observed over central and southern Somalia,” states an Africa Hazards Outlook report for 11-17 April [ http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/afr_Apr11_2013.pdf ]. “Many local areas have already experienced more than three times their normal rainfall accumulation since the beginning of April, sustaining the risk for localized flash flooding and downstream river inundation over the Jubba and Shabelle River basins in eastern Ethiopia and southern Somalia.” The Shabelle has already burst its banks in some places, according to a 10 April Shabelle River flood update by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization [ http://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/flood-update-shabelle-river-10042013 ]. “SWALIM [Somalia Water and Land Information Management] field reports in the last two days indicate river breakages at Hurway (about 8m wide), Eji (about 6m wide) and Maadheere (about 14m wide) villages all in Middle Shabelle Region. This has led to inundation of large areas, causing destruction of cropped area[s] of unconfirmed acreage, and displacement of several families.” Ethiopia The southern and eastern regions of Ethiopia have also received “heavy and well-distributed precipitation totals”, according to the Africa Hazards Outlook, “with lesser amounts observed in the west and higher elevations of the country.” “This has already negatively affected cropping activities, with a reduction of planting over many local Belg [February-May rains]-producing areas of Ethiopia,” it says. With the rains expected to continue, efforts are underway to mitigate their adverse effects. Uganda According to Uganda’s chief weather forecaster, Deus Bamanya, there is an increased likelihood of near-normal to above-normal rainfall over most parts of Uganda, with the rains peaking between mid-April and early-May. Flash flooding could also occur in areas expected to receive below-normal rainfall due to sporadic heavy downpours. “The expected impacts include increased lightning, hailstorms, floods and landslides,” Bamanya told IRIN. The government plans to relocate vulnerable populations living in the eastern Mount Elgon region, which is prone to flooding and landslides [ http://www.irinnews.org/Report/88283/UGANDA-300-feared-dead-as-landslides-bury-villages-in-the-east ]. “We are worried [about] landslides, mudslides and flooding. There are already signs in the low-lying and hilly and mountainous areas,” Musa Ecweru, Uganda’s state minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees, told IRIN. “The effects of the heavy rains last year were very devastating. We don’t want [a]repeat. We are going to relocate people in these vulnerable areas. We are only waiting for resources from our development partners to start the relocation exercise,” said Ecweru. The Ugandan government requires some 35 billion shillings (about US$13.5 million) for the exercise. “We are going to de-gazette some government land to relocate these vulnerable populations. We are negotiating with [the] Uganda Wildlife Authority to have this done immediately. We must [re]settle these people as quick[ly] as possible,” he added. The districts of Mbale, Tororo, Kalangala, Bundibugyo and Masaka are among those most affected by hailstorms, according to Catherine Ntabadde-Makumbi, the Uganda Red Cross Society assistant communications director, who added that at least 8,362 people remain without assistance, with 5,681 of them displaced. The displaced are in urgent need of shelter kits, household items and water purifying tablets. Burundi In Burundi, flood-affected areas include the northwestern region of Bubanza, Bujumbura City and the plains of Imbo along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. "We have a problem with rain in the town of Gihanga [in Bubanza]. Houses and plantations were destroyed, causing the displacement of people and stopping work in the fields," Anselme Wakana, governor of Bubanza Province, told IRIN. At least 1,000 hectares of rice has been damaged there, raising food security fears. "We are harvesting rice that was not yet mature due to fear of flooding," said farmer Olive Ngayimpenda. Several homes have been destroyed in the areas of Gihanga. According to Mbonerane Albert, the president of the local NGO Green Belt Action, the situation could worsen due to environmental degradation: deforestation in Bubanza has increased surface runoff, increasing the risk of flooding. Rwanda In neighbouring Rwanda, authorities have issued disaster warnings to those living in risk-prone areas. "High-risk-zone dwellers have [been] given [a] new eviction ultimatum to relocate since we noticed that expected heavy rainfall could affect the vulnerable populations," Antoine Ruvebana, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Refugees Affairs and Disaster Management, told IRIN. Rwanda, due its hilly terrain, is susceptible to erosion, flooding and landslides. According to the Rwandan meteorological services department, several western parts of the country could get ''above-normal rainfall'' during the mid-April to May 2013 period. rk-mh-dn-at-so/aw/rz ]]>http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97830/In-East-Africa-heavy-rains-test-emergency-preparednessNAIROBI 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Unusually heavy rains have caused havoc across much of east Africa, displacing thousands of people and damaging important infrastructure.]]>Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>GULU/SOROTI 08 April 2013 (IRIN) - Despite the significant role midwives play in Uganda’s maternal health programmes, they face numerous challenges, including lack of training, inadequate facilities and poor pay.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97807/Uganda-s-midwives-struggle-to-meet-demandsGULU/SOROTI 08 April 2013 (IRIN) - Despite the significant role midwives play in Uganda’s maternal health programmes, they face numerous challenges, including lack of training, inadequate facilities and poor pay.]]>Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 03 April 2013 (IRIN) - The M23 rebellion, the latest of a string of armed insurgencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) North Kivu Province, has been active for one year now, during which hundreds of thousands have fled their homes and many have lost their lives.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97779/Briefing-M23-one-year-onNAIROBI 03 April 2013 (IRIN) - The M23 rebellion, the latest of a string of armed insurgencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) North Kivu Province, has been active for one year now, during which hundreds of thousands have fled their homes and many have lost their lives.]]>Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 26 March 2013 (IRIN) - The search for the Ugandan rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the rainforests of the Central African Republic (CAR) will continue despite the ouster of President François Bozizé by rebel group Séléka, officials say.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97737/Kony-hunt-still-on-after-CAR-coupKAMPALA 26 March 2013 (IRIN) - The search for the Ugandan rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the rainforests of the Central African Republic (CAR) will continue despite the ouster of President François Bozizé by rebel group Séléka, officials say.]]>Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 14 March 2013 (IRIN) - Collusion among government officials, unscrupulous water vendors and large farm owners results in diverted water supply lines, misappropriated funds, and failure to implement laws on protecting water sources from encroachment and pollution. These are just some of the ways corruption is denying millions of poor people in Africa access to safe and clean drinking water, experts say.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97642/In-Africa-corruption-dirties-the-waterNAIROBI 14 March 2013 (IRIN) - Collusion among government officials, unscrupulous water vendors and large farm owners results in diverted water supply lines, misappropriated funds, and failure to implement laws on protecting water sources from encroachment and pollution. These are just some of the ways corruption is denying millions of poor people in Africa access to safe and clean drinking water, experts say.]]>Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 14 March 2013 (IRIN) - The Ugandan government's draft 2013/2014 budget allocates US$38.5 million to enrol a further 100,000 people living with HIV on life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. But activists say the money, while welcome in a country still largely dependent on donor funds for its HIV programmes, is not sufficient to meet treatment needs.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97651/Uganda-government-under-pressure-to-boost-ARV-fundingKAMPALA 14 March 2013 (IRIN) - The Ugandan government's draft 2013/2014 budget allocates US$38.5 million to enrol a further 100,000 people living with HIV on life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. But activists say the money, while welcome in a country still largely dependent on donor funds for its HIV programmes, is not sufficient to meet treatment needs.]]>Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 12 March 2013 (IRIN) - Since the World Trade Organization launched its Aid for Trade initiative in 2005, an estimated US$200 billion dollars of development funding has been mobilized for the programme. But some NGOs are asking whether Aid for Trade really helps reduce poverty.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97630/Aid-for-Trade-does-it-help-the-poorLONDON 12 March 2013 (IRIN) - Since the World Trade Organization launched its Aid for Trade initiative in 2005, an estimated US$200 billion dollars of development funding has been mobilized for the programme. But some NGOs are asking whether Aid for Trade really helps reduce poverty.]]>Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>TEL AVIV 11 March 2013 (IRIN) - Testimonies of jailed Eritrean migrants and asylum seekers (collected by a local NGO) say officials at Saharonim prison in Israel’s Southern Negev desert are coercing them to sign “voluntary repatriation” forms.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97623/Imprisoned-Eritreans-complain-of-being-forced-to-leave-IsraelTEL AVIV 11 March 2013 (IRIN) - Testimonies of jailed Eritrean migrants and asylum seekers (collected by a local NGO) say officials at Saharonim prison in Israel’s Southern Negev desert are coercing them to sign “voluntary repatriation” forms.]]>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 01 March 2013 (IRIN) - The condom has played a central role in Uganda’s official HIV prevention strategy for over two decades, but the country has yet to get it right, with condom use declining and the government unable to meet what demand does exist.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97573/Analysis-Condoms-continue-to-confound-UgandaKAMPALA 01 March 2013 (IRIN) - The condom has played a central role in Uganda’s official HIV prevention strategy for over two decades, but the country has yet to get it right, with condom use declining and the government unable to meet what demand does exist.]]>Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 27 February 2013 (IRIN) - New data from the World Bank has revealed that African migrants pay more to send money home to their families than any other migrant group in the world.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97557/African-migrants-pay-high-prices-to-send-money-homeJOHANNESBURG 27 February 2013 (IRIN) - New data from the World Bank has revealed that African migrants pay more to send money home to their families than any other migrant group in the world.]]>Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 25 February 2013 (IRIN) - Boosting women's access to reproductive healthcare could significantly reduce both the number of unsafe abortions and the high cost of post-abortion medical care in Uganda, experts say.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97543/The-high-cost-of-unsafe-abortion-in-UgandaKAMPALA 25 February 2013 (IRIN) - Boosting women's access to reproductive healthcare could significantly reduce both the number of unsafe abortions and the high cost of post-abortion medical care in Uganda, experts say.]]>Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 13 February 2013 (IRIN) - With food aid programmes in Uganda's northeastern region of Karamoja once again under threat from declining financial aid, experts are calling for more sustainable solutions to the region's food security challenges.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97472/Beyond-free-school-feeding-in-Uganda-apos-s-northeastKAMPALA 13 February 2013 (IRIN) - With food aid programmes in Uganda's northeastern region of Karamoja once again under threat from declining financial aid, experts are calling for more sustainable solutions to the region's food security challenges.]]>Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 12 February 2013 (IRIN) - Girl child soldiers are often thought of only as “sex slaves”, a term that glosses over the complex roles many play within armed groups and in some national armies. This thinking contributes to their subsequent invisibility in the demobilization processes - in fact, girls are frequently the most challenging child soldiers to rehabilitate.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97463/Analysis-Girl-child-soldiers-face-new-battles-in-civilian-lifeJOHANNESBURG 12 February 2013 (IRIN) - Girl child soldiers are often thought of only as “sex slaves”, a term that glosses over the complex roles many play within armed groups and in some national armies. This thinking contributes to their subsequent invisibility in the demobilization processes - in fact, girls are frequently the most challenging child soldiers to rehabilitate.]]>Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 06 February 2013 (IRIN) - The sale of HIV test kits to the public by private chemists in Uganda is causing concern among health officials, who feel that HIV testing should remain in the hands of professionals and be accompanied by counselling.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97419/Ugandan-authorities-concerned-as-HIV-self-test-kits-hit-the-marketKAMPALA 06 February 2013 (IRIN) - The sale of HIV test kits to the public by private chemists in Uganda is causing concern among health officials, who feel that HIV testing should remain in the hands of professionals and be accompanied by counselling.]]>Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 05 February 2013 (IRIN) - Inadequate funding, a shortage of health staff and poor adherence to vaccination schedules are some of the reasons for declining immunization levels in Uganda, which experts say threatens efforts to reduce preventable deaths among children.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97413/Uganda-apos-s-immunization-programme-needs-a-shot-in-the-armKAMPALA 05 February 2013 (IRIN) - Inadequate funding, a shortage of health staff and poor adherence to vaccination schedules are some of the reasons for declining immunization levels in Uganda, which experts say threatens efforts to reduce preventable deaths among children.]]>Wed, 30 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 30 January 2013 (IRIN) - All people who seek treatment in health centres in Uganda will be offered HIV testing and counselling under a new plan to increase access to HIV prevention and treatment.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97367/Uganda-begins-rollout-of-provider-initiated-HIV-testingKAMPALA 30 January 2013 (IRIN) - All people who seek treatment in health centres in Uganda will be offered HIV testing and counselling under a new plan to increase access to HIV prevention and treatment.]]>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 29 January 2013 (IRIN) - Concerns are being raised that the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes in Mali is placing a serious strain on an already over-stretched and cash-strapped institution.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97359/Analysis-Cash-strapped-ICC-takes-on-MaliLONDON 29 January 2013 (IRIN) - Concerns are being raised that the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes in Mali is placing a serious strain on an already over-stretched and cash-strapped institution.]]>Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 23 January 2013 (IRIN) - A new Ugandan HIV-prevention campaign that frankly addresses sexual infidelity is generating heated debate over the direction the country's HIV strategy should take.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97317/Ugandan-HIV-campaign-targets-quot-cheaters-quotKAMPALA 23 January 2013 (IRIN) - A new Ugandan HIV-prevention campaign that frankly addresses sexual infidelity is generating heated debate over the direction the country's HIV strategy should take.]]>Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>GULU 18 January 2013 (IRIN) - One of the only two remaining reception centres in northern Uganda helping reintegrate former members of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is threatened with closure. This would greatly reduce psychosocial support available to those directly involved - often as a result of abduction - in one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97276/Rehabilitation-centre-for-Uganda-s-LRA-returnees-to-closeGULU 18 January 2013 (IRIN) - One of the only two remaining reception centres in northern Uganda helping reintegrate former members of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is threatened with closure. This would greatly reduce psychosocial support available to those directly involved - often as a result of abduction - in one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts.]]>Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 18 January 2013 (IRIN) - Africa could reduce its poverty levels faster by focusing more on the production of staples rather than export crops, according to a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97278/In-Brief-Staples-not-export-crops-key-to-tackling-Africa-s-poverty-reportNAIROBI 18 January 2013 (IRIN) - Africa could reduce its poverty levels faster by focusing more on the production of staples rather than export crops, according to a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).]]>Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>GULU 09 January 2013 (IRIN) - It has been years since northern Uganda's children had to troop to town centres at night for safety from abduction by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and most have moved on from the crowded displacement camps where they were born. But while they can sleep at night and look forward to a peaceful future, their lives are rarely easy.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97206/Peace-restored-but-northern-Uganda-s-children-still-struggleGULU 09 January 2013 (IRIN) - It has been years since northern Uganda's children had to troop to town centres at night for safety from abduction by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and most have moved on from the crowded displacement camps where they were born. But while they can sleep at night and look forward to a peaceful future, their lives are rarely easy.]]>