SIRONKO, UGANDA.  In a major relief for local farmers, Sironko District has officially been declared free from Coffee Leaf Rust Disease, a destructive fungal infection that had plagued coffee plantations last year, causing significant financial losses.  

 

Coffee Leaf Rust, caused by the multicellular basidiomycete fungus (Hemileia vastatrix), weakens coffee plants by attacking their leaves, leading to reduced yields and poor-quality beans. The disease struck Sironko in November 2023, severely affecting key coffee-growing sub-counties, including Bukisa, Masaba, Bumalimba, Buhugu, and Bumasifwa.  

 

In the remote islands of Wayase and Hama in Lolwe Sub County, Namayingo District, mothers are paying a heavy price—sometimes with their lives—due to the lack of adequate healthcare services. Residents and local leaders are now urging the Ugandan government to elevate Hama Health Center II to a Level III facility to address the rampant deaths of mothers during childbirth.