Uganda Acquires 500,000 Hepatitis B Vaccine Doses to Fight New Infections

Uganda has procured 500,000 doses of hepatitis B vaccines to be administered to newborns and adults as part of efforts to combat new infections, according to a public health distribution agency.

The vaccines will be distributed to public health facilities across the country to help reduce the incidence of the virus, the Uganda National Medical Stores (NMS) announced on the X platform.

“Preparations are already underway for distribution to health facilities nationwide,” stated NMS, a government agency responsible for procuring, storing, and distributing medical supplies to government-owned health facilities.

Sheilla Nduhukire, principal public relations officer at NMS, noted that the country has faced a prolonged shortage of hepatitis B vaccines, which impacted vaccination campaigns.

“We have restocked hepatitis B vaccines following a global shortage reported by the manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India,” Nduhukire said in a voice message shared with the press.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 1,250 Ugandans died from hepatitis B in 2022, and about 6 percent of the population—approximately 2.7 million people—remain chronically infected.

The Ugandan Ministry of Health, with technical support from the WHO, has developed a comprehensive strategy to control hepatitis B that includes public awareness, testing, and treatment initiatives.

Hepatitis B can lead to chronic infections, significantly increasing the risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer. The virus spreads through contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of an infected individual.