Africa Health Solutions Journalism Initiative-AHSJI

29/10/2024

Innovative Ubuntu-Afya Kiosks Transforming Primary Care in Kenya

Popularly known as Ubuntu-Afya Kiosks, these community hospitals, including the one in Mfangano, have made it possible to attain the World Health Organization’s (WHO) five-kilometer average distance requirement for every inhabitant to the nearest healthcare service.

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Solutions Journalism Network Group
Solutions Journalism Network
Ubuntu Afya Unit

By Gift Briton The morning sunlight casts a golden glow over the rocky landscape of Lake Victoria’s Mfangano Island in Homabay County as Siprine Wanjoro walks purposefully towards a community

25/09/2024

Science Africa & SJN engaged the Nation Media Group Editors on solutions journalism. About 20 editors, managers & directors attended the two-hour session delivered by Daniel Otunge of Science Africa & Caroline Karobia of Solutions Journalism Initiative.

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Solutions Journalism Network Group
Africa Health Solutions Journalism Initiative-AHSJI
Solutions Journalism Network

17/09/2024

Boost Spending to Save from , The Report 2024 Urges Leaders

In the 2024 Goalkeepers Report released today, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation urges world leaders to increase global health spending where it is needed most to boost children’s health and , especially in the face of the global crisis.
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Gates Foundation

New modeling shows that 40 million more children will suffer from hunger’s worst effects by 2050 due to climate change, but immediate action could boost health and spur economic growth.

22/09/2023

📣Don't miss out on this opportunity⤵️
➡️Call for Media trainers and Mentors
for submissions 🗓️2nd October 2023
Send CVs to 📩[email protected] and copy to [email protected]
🔗Click image for more details.

03/05/2023

Cell Groups Helping to Reduce HIV among Rwandan S*x Workers

The campaign to fight and eradicate HIV spread in the country by the government and other private organizations is bearing fruits with the most vulnerable sections of society like s*x workers taking this fight in their own hands to save themselves and live positively.

S*x workers are now forming leadership cells among themselves. The cells are being used to sensitize them on using protection, embracing medication as prescribed by health personnel, taking a balanced diet and positive living.

03/05/2023

The Menstrual Room Keeping Rwandan Girls in School

At least 20 percent of schoolgirls in Rwanda, particularly in rural areas, miss up to 50 days of school per year, according a 2020 study, also highlighted by the World Bank.

Published on March 21, 2023 Germain Nsanzimana At GS Busigari, a mixed primary-secondary, located in rural Cyanzarwe sector, Rubavu district, western Rwanda, it is around 11am. It is break time, marked by the usual deafening noise as students play in the large compound. But for one 12year-old girl,....

28/04/2023

Health Management Information System helping Uganda track childhood vaccinations

The Government of Uganda has over the years invested in a concerted effort towards the immunization of children to protect them from killer diseases as a preventive approach of fighting disease.

By Elizabeth Ankunda 4th April 2023 The Government of Uganda has over the years invested in a concerted effort towards the immunization of children to protect them from killer diseases as a preventive approach of fighting disease. However, the efforts are still thwarted by a number of hindrances es...

28/04/2023

Community dialogue and social behavior change: Effective tool in reducing malaria mortality in Kenya

In Vihiga County, Wandanya sub-location- Mambai village the ministry of health (MOH) in lieu of community health workers conducted the distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINS) to the members of the community in a bid to curb malaria.

Published on March 16, 2023 By Pauline Achieng Tom ­_tom In Vihiga County, Wandanya sub-location- Mambai village the ministry of health (MOH) in lieu of community health workers conducted the distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINS) to the members of the community in a bid to ...

10/03/2023

Rwanda Community Health Workers in frontline drive to cut maternal and child mortality

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, almost 800 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in 2020.

By Jeanne d’Arc Munezero 8th March 2023 After the 1994 war, a percentage of mothers in rural communities of Rwanda gave birth at home because access to health care facilities was a challenge. Expectant mothers were assisted to deliver by traditional birth attendants who were not medically trained....

08/03/2023

How Kisumu households fight ‘hidden hunger’ through insects

Malnutrition, also known as hidden hunger, remains one of the major health challenges affecting the growth and development of children in the country.

World Health Organization (WHO) uses Anthropometry to determine the nutritional status of children.

Anthropometry the scientific study of the measurements and proportions of the human body, through looking at the proportion of weight and height of the child against their age.

By Kevine Omollo March 7, 2023 Malnutrition, also known as hidden hunger, remains one of the major health challenges affecting the growth and development of children in the country. World Health Organization (WHO) uses Anthropometry to determine the nutritional status of children. Anthropometry the....

08/03/2023

Menstrual products, education restoring dignity of adolescent girls in Migori

Menstruation is still a taboo topic, one masked in many myths and misconceptions, especially for those living in poverty and culturally deeply rooted communities.

In Kenya, menstruation is rarely discussed in families, and many girls reported feeling like they could not openly discuss menstruation at home because ‘it is too private to even share with their mother.’

By Polycarp Owiti March 7, 2023 When Justina (not her real name) experienced her first-period cycle, she was so terrified. Scared, she stuffed mattress cuts inside herself to try to stem the bleeding. Justina is a 15-year-old learner at Kugisingisi Primary school in Kuria west, Migori County.   Sh...

03/02/2023

Farmer-to-Farmer awareness Campaign Reduces Burden of RVF in Rwamagana

Through the Livestock Farmers Field School (LFFS) the local government trained the most influential livestock farmers for them to also train and mobilize others.

RVF is a viral disease that mostly affects domesticated animals such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and camels. People can get RVF through contact with blood, body fluids, tissues of infected animals and bites from infected mosquitoes.

Although RVF often causes severe illness in animals, most people with RVF have either no symptoms or a mild illness with fever, weakness, back pain and dizziness. However, a small percentage (8-10%) of people with RVF develop much more severe symptoms including eye disease, hemorrhage (excessive bleeding), and encephalitis (swelling of the brain).
https://bit.ly/3JC1Ap8

15/09/2022

➡️Call for Applications for Journalists and Trainers
📢Mark the date: Applications ongoing
🚥🚥
➡️The goal is to equip journalists to report on key road safety issues
for Applications
📅28th Sept 2022
➡️Click link⤵️for more Details
https://www.who.int/news/item/12-09-2022-who-road-safety-workshop-for-african-journalists-and-journalism-trainers

12/09/2022

RESISTANCE: PATIENT LED CONTACT TRACING HELPING MEDICS TO FIGHT RESISTANT

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines MDR TB as the type of TB that does not respond to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most powerful TB drugs.
Story Link
https://healthsojo-africa.org/antimicrobial-resistance-patient-led-contact-tracing-helping-ugandan-medics-to-fight-drug-resistant-tb/

07/07/2022

Approach, enabling Timely Diagnosis of Severe Malnutrition

Malnutrition- , excesses,or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and nutrients- remains a challenge in with over 250, 000 still suffering from severe acute .

According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), malnutrition threatens to destroy a generation of children in Uganda. More than one third of all young children amongst whom 2.4 million are stunted.
UNICEF
UNICEF Uganda
https://bit.ly/3PdaDg6

Malnutrition-deficiencies, excesses,or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and nutrients-  remains a challenge in Uganda with over 250, 000 children still suffering from severe acute malnutrition. According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), malnutriti...

06/07/2022

faulted for the growing use of without prescriptions

Although has a law that dictates that antibiotics should only be sold with a prescription, most pharmacies do not implement this.

A study carried out in Uganda found that about 41% of all antibiotic sales in community pharmacies were over the counter, that is without a prescription.
https://bit.ly/3uuOMZn

27/05/2022

Employs Innovative Solutions Against Anti-Malaria Drug Resistance

Despite efforts by the Rwandan Government to distribute basic medicines through the Community Health Workers (CHW), who are deployed across several remote rural regions for quick healthcare interventions, there are still many patients in these areas using illegal or counterfeit drugs sold cheaply by unscrupulous businesspersons
https://bit.ly/3LSKEs9

27/05/2022

Burera: trained to select healthy seeds finally making profits

Farmers in District, Cyanika sector, Northern Province say that after undergoing training they are currently making profit by selecting and multiplying healthy potatoes seed stocks.
https://bit.ly/3LQC7px

13/05/2022

diagnostics: Removing the antimicrobial resistance blindfold

The lack of diagnostic results means that providers are working with a blindfold, unable to identify the specific infection a patient may be suffering from and unable to determine whether patients would benefit from .

According to Dr Loice Achieng, Infectious Diseases Specialist and head of Stewardship Committee, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), physicians’ lack of knowledge on local susceptibility patterns cited as one of the top causes of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
https://bit.ly/3MegFvK

26/04/2022

Tackling resistance using appropriate treatment options

Based on scientific experiments, researchers concluded that self-medication with and overuse of antibiotics were among the main risk factors for antibiotic .

The latest study published jointly by a team of researchers from , , , and the in the Pan-African Medical Journal shows that the major reason for self-medication with antibiotics was illnesses not serious enough for consultation.

https://bit.ly/38p0SeD

12/04/2022

Fish Farmers Using Alternative Methods to Antimicrobials

George Muga, Director of Muga Farm, located in Karachuonyo, Homabay County, uses salt bath as a way of treating fish that occur in his farm as it is affordably cheaper unlike use of .

https://bit.ly/3JAfKUi

05/04/2022

How Health Workers are fighting in Buvuma Islands

Study shows that the factors favoring the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Uganda include: overuse of associated with self-medication, over-prescription of antibiotics, and patients not finishing the entire course of antibiotics prescribed.

https://bit.ly/3j2FTjM

31/03/2022

District: 65% of Women and 1,600 men under Planning

“I came to this Health Center in order to limit births. I got married too young when I was 17. I was late in having a . I had a hard life while my husband was on duty and not living with me. In the sequel, I was lucky to have a little girl who is three years old now. I still believe that having too many children hinders growth and good living conditions in the household. Too many children are a heavy burden on the woman who no longer has the time to work to improve the lives of her family. So I decided in agreement with my husband to limit births and have the second child in at least five years, “says Iradukunda.

https://bit.ly/3IOrLFe

By André Gakwaya -Ruhango: Iradukunda Yvette, is a 23-year-old young woman. She lives in Kavumu village, Rwoga cell, in Ruhango sector, Ruhango District. She is in consultation at the Kigoma Health Center to benefit from family planning services. She is married and the mother of a three-year-old gi...

10/03/2022

What is Solutions Journalism?

Solutions Journalism Network Group
Rwanda Dispatch
Rongo University
Kibabii University

25/02/2022

Rongo University and Africa Health Solutions Journalism Initiative-AHSJI leaderships, led by the Rongo Univesity Vice-Chancellor Prof. Samuel Gugu (center left), and AHSJI Board Chair, Mr. Peter Owuor Otula (center right) during the official signing ceremony of the Collaborative Agreement between the two organizations.