US partners with Uganda Army to fight HIV/AIDS

Press release.

KAMPALA 15/2— The U.S. Mission Uganda has given the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) vehicles and equipment to launch three complete mobile army surgical units to expand access to mobile male circumcision in all five UPDF divisions. The seven vehicles and assorted equipment, valued at approximately $763,000, were funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Research has shown that safe medical male circumcision (SMC) is over 60 percent effective in reducing male HIV infection, and is an important part of the Combination Prevention Package, which includes condoms, being faithful to your partner, and knowing your HIV status.

Since 2009, the UPDF has opened four static sites (in Bombo, Gulu, Mbarara, and Katabi) to provide SMC. Due to high demand for SMC and the movement of UPDF forces, these static sites could not serve the entire force. The three mobile army surgical units donated by the U.S. Mission Uganda can travel to areas where there are no fixed facilities, or where the facilities are too small to circumcise more than a few men in a day. These teams will help the UPDF meet its goal of circumcising 60,000 men over the next three years.

The U.S. Government has broadly supported the UPDF's HIV prevention, care, and treatment programming for the last three years. The joint effort also includes HIV counseling and testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), antiretroviral treatment, and addressing tuberculosis and HIV co-infection.

Government avails more cancer drugs

Press release (Uganda Media Centre) 

5th February 2012
Yesterday, Saturday the 4th of February, as Uganda joined the rest of the world to promote International World Cancer Day, the government announced it is driving the expansion of the Uganda Cancer Institute at Mulago.

The government set up the Uganda Cancer Institute in 1967 in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute in the US to provide a base for clinical and investigative research for possible causes and treatment for cancer. This put Uganda in the lead in the fight against cancer in Africa.

According to Dr. Jackson Orem, the Director Uganda Cancer Institute “The government is erecting a six storied building that will house two cancer theatres, wards for the patients, Intensive Care Units and storage of tissue for research and future reference.”

A plan has also been put in place to train more oncologists and other cancer specialists to boost the current human resource. “ICU is charged with identifying the right people for training and they undergo training both here and abroad,” said Dr. Orem.

It is alarming that out ofall new cancer cases diagnosed per yearthe majority of cases are reported too late. “The government would therefore like to remind the public that there are free cancer treatment drugs and other services at UCIMulago that are accessible free of charge to all Ugandans.”Hon. DR. Christine Ondoa, Minister of Health said yesterday.

The institute has one of the best drugs that treats leukaemia (Glivec) in the world. There is also a provision for private cancer patients that would like to pay for their own treatment.

The government yesterday however warned that cancer cases are on the increase worldwide,Hon. DR. Christine Ondoa, Minister of Health called upon the public “to be vigilant about their health and report infections early for treatment. Let us create awareness, of prevention and available treatment, let us work together to reduce new infections.”

Hon. DR. Christine Ondoa, Minister of Health.

Fred Opolot
Executive Director/ Media Centre

Uganda signs Production Sharing Agreements with Tullow Uganda Limited

Press Release : www.petroleum.go.ug

The Government of Uganda has concluded negotiations with Tullow Uganda Limited for Petroleum Exploration licences over Exploration Area 1and Kanywataba Prospect and issued a Production Licence over the Kingfisher Field on February 3rd 2012 at Amber House, Kampala.

The two Exploration Licences in the PSAs and the Production Licence have been issued under Sections 9 and 22 respectively of the Petroleum (Exploration & Production) Act, Chapter 150 of the Laws of Uganda, 2000.

Government and Tullow Uganda Limited entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the development of the petroleum resources discovered in Exploration Areas 1, 2 and 3A. The parties to the MOU, recognizing the time lost during the tax dispute over the sale of Heritage’s interests in Uganda to Tullow Uganda Limited, agreed to grant new licences over the Kanywataba Prospect Area and Exploration Area 1, for Six months and One year respectively.

It was agreed that Tullow could apply for the Kingfisher Field in accordance with Section 20(3) of the Act. Tullow duly applied for a production licence over the Kingfisher Field which has been granted today.

The PSAs for Kanywataba Prospect and EA1 have the following provisions among others:

a) Minimum Work Programme together with the Minimum Exploration Expenditure.
b) An Advisory Committee consisting of representatives from Government and the Licensee to review and approve all annual exploration work programmes, budgets and production forecasts.
c) An Initial Royalty based on progressive incremental production and an additional Royalty as a percentage of the value of the recovered reserves.
d) State Participation by Government or its Nominee at Production Level.
e) Cost Recovery limits for Oil Production and Gas Production set at different levels.
f) Production Sharing based on incremental production after deduction of Initial Royalty and the Cost Recovery
g) A Signature Bonus of US$ 200,000 and US$ 300,000 respectively upon signing of the PSA to Government.
h) Each of these two PSAs in addition have provisions for a discovery bonus of United States dollars two million (US$2,000,000).
i) All taxes will be paid in accordance with to the Laws of Uganda. The rate of income Tax presently stands at 30%.
j) A requirement to train and employ suitably qualified Ugandan citizens in addition to payment of annual training fees to Government.
k) Payment of annual surface rentals computed differently for exploration and production phases per square kilometre.

One of the key aspects that delayed the signing of these PSAs was the issue of Stabilisation and the proposal by Oil Companies to Export the Crude Oil. Government’s proposal to revise the standard Stabilisation Clause was accepted by Tullow and has been adopted in the PSAs signed today. In addition, they have agreed to Government’s policy of establishing a refinery in the country and consideration for export of crude will be made as more reserves are discovered in the country.

The Albertine Graben, the area with the potential for petroleum production in the Western rift valley of the country is now subdivided into eleven Exploration Areas (EAs). Out of these, EA1, EA2, EA4B, EA5 are licensed to Tullow Uganda Limited, Tullow Uganda Operations Pty Ltd., Dominion Uganda Limited and Neptune Petroleum Uganda Limited, respectively.

The EA1 licence area lies in the Pakwach Basin, and covers a total area of 3,058 square kilometres. The area covers parts of the districts of Nebbi, Nwoya, Kiryandongo, Masindi and Buliisa. The Kanywataba prospect area and the Kingfisher Production Area formed part of the original EA3A prior to relinquishment by Heritage. Kanywataba prospect covers a total area of 171 square kilometres and lies in Ntoroko District, while Kingfisher Production area measures 344 square kilometres and lies in Hoima and Kibaale Districts.


Contact:
The Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development
Email; psmemd@energy.go.ug Web; www.energyand minerals.go.ug / www.petroleum.go.ug Tel. 0414-344414

East Africa progress on polythene bag elimination

(Press Release) … if assented to, law shall sustain environment and protect human and animal lives
East African Legislative Assembly, Kampala, Uganda, February 3, 2012: The EAC Polythene Materials Control Bill, 2011 passed in the House late yesterday evening . The Bill thus inches closer to an Act of the Community should the EAC Heads of State assent to the same.

The Bill moved by Hon Patricia Hajabakiga, Member from Rwanda aims at providing a legal framework for the preservation of a clean and healthy environment through the prohibition of manufacturing, sale, importation and use of polythene materials.

Justifying the move to have the regional law in place, Hon Hajabakiga stated that the Bill is intended to control the use of polythenes while advocating the total ban of plastics.  The mover notes several dangers of plastics and polythene materials notably soil degradation through burning of wastes, harmful emissions of toxics and the endangering of human and animal lives.  She further indicates that while plastics can be burned, they emit chemicals and the corresponding photo-degradation has consequential impact on human and infrastructure.

Countries such as Bangladesh, Botswana, Israel, Rwanda and France among others have since enacted a similar law, Hon Hajabakiga said.

The Chairperson of the Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources Committee, Hon Safina Kwekwe whose Committee the Assembly mandated to look through the Bill, remarked that the Committee had met various stakeholders in the Partner States during the public hearings.  The meetings were called to create awareness of plastics and visit plastic manufacturers with a view to interfacing with them and suggesting for improvements on the Bill

In its report, the Committee states that Rwanda which has an existing law in place supported the Bill while requesting for inclusion of a clause on alternatives to polythene materials as well as an incentive programme.  Uganda enacted a law for the control of polythene materials in 2009 although the law is yet to be fully implemented. There are challenges with respect to disposal of such wastes owing to absence of recycling facilities, the Committee reported.

Stakeholders in Kenya were of the view that while polythenes are an environmental menace, a balance needs to be struck between eradicating them on the one side and the promotion and protection of investments on the other. 

The stakeholders in Kenya suggested adjustment to specifications of polythene materials other than a total ban and the introduction of a levy to allow the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to manage the waste.

The United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Burundi also support the Bill, but on the understanding that only plastic bags should be banned and not all polythene materials. In Zanzibar, the report notes - issues concerning the environment are non-union and in 2008, the isle took the initiative to ban the use of plastics with a three year transitional period, expiring last year, provided for in the law. 

Stakeholders during public hearings however raised counter arguments including loss of income, jobs and reduced revenue affecting the economies. The issue of measuring of the microns, the House was told, is expensive even though it was suggested that balancing of revenues earned by governments compared to the very act of checking the environment should be taken into consideration.

During debate, majority of the Members rose in support of the Bill.   Hon Emerence Bucumi hailed the Assembly’s decision to protect the environment noting that the region should emulate Rwanda’s example. 

“We must protect the environment and share common interests in our desire to ensure a healthy environment,” Hon. Bucumi said. 

Hon. Christophe Bazivamo remarked that plastic bags were not only a menace to the environment but also harmed livestock.  Other Members in support were Hon. Dr. George Nangale and Hon Margaret Zziwa.

Kenyan Assistant Minister for EAC Hon. Peter Munya reiterated the Council of Ministers’ support for the Bill. 

“Polythene waste is a major hindrance in urban and rural areas and attempts to ensure solid waste management is thus essential and welcome.  The envisaged law in the Council’s view, shall control pollution and save both flora and fauna,” he said. 

“Further attempts to ban the plastics in the region have not been entirely successful in the Partner States save for Rwanda and it is now time to collectively act,” Hon Munya added.

The Minister also presented mind boggling statistics of the use of plastic bags noting that the continent was most affected.   

Amendments that sailed through during the debate include a change in title with the replacement of the word polythene with plastic to read “The East African Community Plastic Control Bill”.  This, Members agree has a wider scope and is consequential.

The Bill shall now go through the succeeding stages of assent with the Speaker of the Assembly expected to submit the amended copies to the Heads of State for assent.  Should it be assented to (signed) to by the five Heads of State, the East African Community Plastic Control  Bill shall become law.  In event that one or more Heads of State do not assent to the Bill, it shall be returned to the Assembly.

For more information, contact: Bobi Odiko, Senior Public Relations Officer; East African Legislative Assembly; Tel: +255-27-2508240 Cell: +255 787 870945, +254-733-718036; Email: bodiko@eachq.org  Web: http://www.eala.org   Arusha, Tanzania

Bujagali Hydropower project to earn Carbon Credit Income

By Esther Nakkazi

Uganda’s Bujagali Hydropower Project has been approved as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and sustainable development project by the Netherlands, the designated Authority for this activity.

As a CDM it could earn about $17 million per year from selling certified emission reduction (CER) credits to industrialized countries, as part of their emission reduction targets, under the Kyoto Protocol of the UN framework Convention for climate change.

“It is like a thank you on a project that will save the environment not only on site but on electricity usage as pressure on the environment will be reduced. It will also earn us some revenue,” said Mr. Bukenya Matovu the head of communications in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.

Under the deal, the Uganda Government will receive 60 percent of the carbon credit income and 40 percent will go to Bujagali Energy Limited (BEL) the project sponsor which will also control the revenue.

The 250-megawatt project is the largest private investment ever in East Africa, and now becomes the only capital-intensive project in Africa to be financed through carbon credit income, a key decision that equity financiers of the project considered before financing the project.

Investment experts say it is now common international practice that hydropower projects apply for CDM validation as it presents investors especially in poor investment climates like Uganda with additional financial incentive and security through the carbon credit revenue stream.

In the Bujagali case it was a key factor in the decision to invest made by Sithe Global, the main shareholder in BEL and equity investor in the project.

BEL is a project- specific company owned by Industrial Promotion Services

Kenya Limited (IPS Kenya) and SG Bujagali Holdings Ltd, an affiliate of Sithe Global, an American power company majority owned by private equity giant, The Blackstone Group based in the USA.

According to the ERM Group, the world’s largest provider of environment, health and safety certification, Bujagali qualifies to be a CDM because of the technology applied- hydropower replacing fossil fuel electricity generation.

The technology will result in reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in Uganda particularly targeting CO2 emissions that in the absence of the project activity would have been generated by diesel and heavy fuel oil generators. It will also avoid the need for future oil fired generation, says the ERM Group validation report released this month.

The project will also not create emissions as it is a renewable energy (hydropower) project, and has no fossil-fuelled power to supply to the grid. If at all, from the two emergency stand-by diesel generators on site, the annual diesel would be less than 1 percent of emissions reduction, a reasonable amount, according to ERM certification and verification services (ERM CVS).

Bujagali hydropower project has a total installed capacity of 250 MW and is estimated to be fully operational by June 2012 to generate 1,305 GWh (net) per year to the electricity grid.

According to ERM CVS, the Bujagali CER revenue presents to the Uganda government a secure stream of revenue that will provide a buffer from the foreign exchange rate risk and from the default on its commitments to purchase electricity from BEL.

The carbon credit revenue for Bujagali will be in foreign currencies either US $ or Euros which will help the government offset the foreign currency exchange risks associated with meeting the electricity payments that it faces.

The Power Purchase Agreement spells out that Uganda Electricity Transmission Company (UETCL), purchases from BEL all power produced by the Bujagali Project, under a sovereign guarantee by the government of Uganda.

But, Ugandan consumers pay for electricity in Uganda shillings while BEL to be paid $116 million per year after the project starts running- is paid in US Dollars, which creates an exchange rate risk for the government as the Uganda shilling fluctuates significantly against the US dollar. For instance the shilling declined in value against the US $ by about 50 percent since 2000.

CDM is the main source of income for the UNFCCC Adaptation Fund. The project was validated on its project design documents, site assessments and resolution of outstanding issues.

ends

LONG-TERM WORLDWIDE DECLINE IN ABORTIONS HAS STALLED

Press Release from Guttmacher

After a period of substantial decline, the global abortion rate has stalled, according to new research from the Guttmacher Institute and the World Health Organization (WHO). Between 1995 and 2003, the overall number of abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age (15–44 years) dropped from 35 to 29; according to the new study, the global abortion rate in 2008 was virtually unchanged, at 28 per 1,000. 

This plateau coincides with a slowdown, documented by the United Nations, in contraceptive uptake, which has been especially marked in developing countries. The researchers also found that nearly half of all abortions worldwide are unsafe, and almost all unsafe abortions occur in the developing world. The study, Induced Abortion: Incidence and Trends Worldwide from 1995 to 2008, by Gilda Sedgh et al., was published online today by The Lancet.

In the developing world, the abortion rate was 29 per 1,000 in both 2003 and 2008, after falling from 34 per 1,000 between 1995 and 2003. The situation was somewhat different in the developed world, excluding Eastern Europe, where the abortion rate was much lower, at 17 per 1,000 in 2008, having declined slightly from a rate of 20 in 1995.

“The declining abortion trend we had seen globally has stalled, and we are also seeing a growing proportion of abortions occurring in developing countries, where the procedure is often clandestine and unsafe. This is cause for concern,” says Gilda Sedgh, lead author of the study and a senior researcher at the Guttmacher Institute.

 “This plateau coincides with a slowdown in contraceptive uptake. Without greater investment in quality family planning services, we can expect this trend to persist.”

Research from WHO shows that complications due to unsafe abortion continued to account for an estimated 13% of all maternal deaths worldwide in 2008; almost all of these deaths occurred in developing countries.

Globally, unsafe abortion accounted for 220 deaths per 100,000 procedures in 2008, 350 times the rate associated with legal induced abortions in the United States (0.6 per 100,000). Unsafe abortion is also a significant cause of ill-health: Each year approximately 8.5 million women in developing countries experience abortion complications serious enough to require medical attention, and three million of them do not receive the needed care.

“Deaths and disability related to unsafe abortion are entirely preventable, and some progress has been made in developing regions. Africa is the exception, accounting for 17% of the developing world's population of women of childbearing age but half of all unsafe abortion–related deaths," notes Iqbal H. Shah, of the WHO and a coauthor of the study.  

“Within developing countries, risks are greatest for the poorest women. They have the least access to family planning services and are the most likely to suffer the negative consequences of an unsafe procedure. Poor women also have the least access to postabortion care, when they need treatment for complications.”

The findings provide further evidence that restrictive abortion laws are not associated with lower rates of abortion. For example, the 2008 abortion rate was 29 per 1,000 women of childbearing age in Africa and 32 per 1,000 in Latin America, regions where abortion is highly restricted in almost all countries. In contrast,  in Western Europe, where abortion is generally permitted on broad grounds, the rate is 12.
The Southern Africa subregion, where close to 90% of women live under South Africa’s liberal abortion law, has the lowest abortion rate in Africa, at 15 per 1,000 women. Other very low subregional rates are found in Western Europe (12) and Northern Europe (17), where both abortion and contraception are widely available either for free or at very low cost.

Eastern Europe presents a very different situation, with an abortion rate that is nearly four times that of Western Europe. This discrepancy corresponds with Eastern Europe’s relatively low levels of modern contraceptive use and low prevalence of highly effective methods such as the pill and the IUD. After a striking decline in the abortion rate between 1995 and 2003, from 90 to 44 per 1,000 women, Eastern Europe experienced virtually no change in the rate between 2003 and 2008.

"These latest figures are deeply disturbing. The progress made in the 1990s is now in reverse. Promoting and implementing policies to reduce the number of abortions is now an urgent priority for all countries and for global health agencies, such as WHO,” says Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet. “Condemning, stigmatizing, and criminalizing abortion are cruel and failed strategies. It's time for a public health approach that emphasizes reducing harm - and that means more liberal abortion laws."

The full article and related materials can be found online @ http://www.guttmacher.org

Price monitoring tool for maize

By Esther Nakkazi

A price-monitoring tool that will make available monthly updates of staple food prices is to be developed for east and central Africa countries.

The software-monitoring tool will seek to increase competition and resilience to price volatility and kicks off early this year with the monitoring of maize prices, the major staple food of this region.

“We will be giving monthly updates of food prices and balances. We will also be trying out a forecasting model so that we can be more prepared, but this may take some time to adapt adequately,” said Dr. Michael Waithaka the Policy Analysis and Advocacy programme (PAAP) manager at the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA).

The monitoring tool will use food price indexes generated by each of the countries’ bureau of statistics every month. The information will then be analyzed and distributed to all countries to create price awareness.

One of the envisaged solutions the tool will offer to local markets is the flow of food from surplus to deficit areas and from markets where the prices are low to where prices are high reducing food shortages.

But this would only work if the regions’ markets were integrated so that food security is improved from a country to a regional level. The high price volatility in the region is associated with the weak integration of the food markets.

High food prices also have a negative effect on trade for Africa, a net food importer, which spends about $20 billion annually on food imports. For instance, 45 percent of rice and 85 percent of wheat consumed in Africa is imported, according to statistics from United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Dr. Waithaka warned that the monitoring tool would not be the sole solution for the volatile prices since the causes vary a lot but each country would be considered individually to determine the impacts and then they will propose a basket of options.

Since 2010, the east and central African region suffered volatile food prices due to a combination of global causes and region specific factors.

Domestic food prices within this region increased to unprecedented levels in tandem with global food prices, which reached the highest level on record in February 2011, the highest since the inception of the FAO food price index (FPI) in 1990 to suggest a food price crisis.

In east Africa specifically, prices escalated due to recurrent droughts, high input prices in the agricultural sector, which also has low investment and a rapidly expanding population that has created a high demand for food with no corresponding supply.

As food prices escalated, countries in the region imposed trade policy measures like import tariff reductions as well as export taxes and bans to protect their populations from starving.

Export bans were the most famous trade policy measure in the region which unfortunately was a missed opportunity as a ‘crisis is a terrible thing to waste’ said Joseph Karugia, the coordinator Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System for Eastern and Central Africa (ReSAKSS-ECA).

“In the 70’s and 80’s we complained about low prices but now that they are high we continue to complain. A regional response would be an opportunity to address the food price crisis,” said Karugia.

Karugia said high food prices would prompt exploitation of regional diversity and facilitate regional trade with priority actions including removal of export bans, elimination of non-tariff barriers and upgrading infrastructure of main regional trade corridors.

Country responses to high food prices;

But all this happened in the reverse, food exports were banned in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. As food security got further threatened, Kenya slapped a temporary ban on export of seeds.

Tanzania followed suit, banning exports of cereals until the food security was analyzed and further refused to lift the ban even when it reported a surplus. Uganda did not limit export of food partly to maintain the export-oriented nature of Uganda’s agriculture sector, which is almost entirely engaged in food production.

President Yoweri Museveni explained the situation and argued farmers to take advantage of the high prices and traders to invest more in agriculture but the public would not believe him. He was booed at the youth gathering in Arua.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) later applauded Uganda for adhering to a market-oriented approach and keeping true to its title of a ‘food basket’ in the region and not imposing a food ban.

While in Rwanda, the price of maize the main staple crop, almost doubled and food security was threatened with hardly anything to export. In effect, Uganda was the country in the region that responded with a level head to take advantage of the volatile prices in 2010/2011.

Scientists believe that with the monitoring tool that will avail food prices in an integrated market, the east and central African region would partly be rid of price volatility, not entirely but to a decent level.


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