UNIPH - Uganda National Institute of Public Health

Summary Background: Complete patient-status information is essential for monitoring outcomes and supporting case follow-up during outbreak response. During the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, declared on 15 May 2026, routine review of the Integrated Results…
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Summary Background: WHO recommends parasitological confirmation of suspected malaria using microscopy or mRDTs. In Uganda, microscopy is expected at higher-level facilities, while mRDTs predominate at lower-level facilities. Workload, equipment, and…
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Summary Background: Timely laboratory reporting is essential for situational awareness and decision-making during outbreak response. Following confirmation of the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in Uganda in May 2026, the national laboratory pillar…
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Summary Background: Uganda is a recognised zoonotic hotspot and has invested heavily since 2017 in detecting priority zoonoses through the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2). Whether that investment has been matched by fewer deaths is unknown, and…
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Summary Background: The growing number of zero-dose children, those who have never received a routine vaccine, poses a major threat to global immunization efforts and increases the risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. Although the first dose of the…
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Summary Background: Uganda mainly monitors malnutrition-related deaths through the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), which captures deaths among children treated for severe (SAM) and moderate (MAM) acute malnutrition. The Medical Certificate of…
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Summary Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Because antimicrobial susceptibility patterns vary across geographic areas and healthcare institutions, local surveillance is essential to guide…
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Summary Background: Accurate cause-of-death ascertainment is essential for monitoring the impact of HIV and tuberculosis (TB) programs. In Uganda, aggregate TB/HIV death counts are routinely reported through the Health Management Information System (HMIS)…
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Summary Background: Laboratories play a key role in disease diagnosis, surveillance, outbreak detection, and public health response. Laboratory quality management systems (LQMS) are essential for quality laboratory services, importantly within the One Health…
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Summary Background: Timely viral load (VL) results are essential for monitoring antiretroviral therapy and optimizing patient care. Paper-based VL request can delay sample processing because they require duplicate data entry and are prone to illegible…
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Summary Background: On November 3, 2025, a suspected case of anthrax presented at Kihihi Health Centre IV and was later confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) on December 10, 2025. We investigated the…
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Summary Background: Behavioral and social factors play a critical role in shaping caregivers’ decisions regarding childhood immunization. On March 20, 2026 in Kyegegwa District declared a measles outbreak when six children tested positive for IgM for measles.…
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Summary Background: On March 20, 2026, the Ministry of Health confirmed a measles outbreak in Kyegegwa District after five of six samples from suspected measles cases tested positive with one death reported. We described healthcare-seeking behaviour and…
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Summary Background: On 6 February 2026, a food-poisoning event occurred among mourners in Nakaseke district who had travelled to Mukono district. Thirty-eight people developed acute gastrointestinal symptoms, and four were admitted to Ssemuto Health Centre…
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Summary Background: Kyegegwa, a refugee-hosting district with recurrent measles outbreaks, experienced a measles outbreak in early 2026. We applied the 7-1-7 framework to assess the timeliness of outbreak detection, notification, and response, identify…
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Summary Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) remains an important challenge for tuberculosis control in Uganda. We analysed national DR-TB surveillance data from 2015–2024 to describe temporal tends in DR-TB case-notifications and geographic…
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Summary Background: In November 2025, Uganda’s Ministry of Health received reports of community deaths linked to an unknown cutaneous ulcerative illness in Rubirizi District. We investigated to verify the event, describe epidemiology, assess etiologies,…
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Summary Background: Anthrax is zoonotic disease that requires integrated human, animal, and environmental investigations, supported by effective specimen referral and documentation systems. Effective documentation supports coordination between human, animal…
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Summary Background: Outbreaks of unknown aetiology present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to public health systems. In the absence of a confirmed diagnosis, empirical antimicrobial treatment may be necessary but can increase unnecessary antimicrobial…
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