Renowned psychologist Dr Sheila Ndyanabangi dead

Dr Sheila Ndyanabangi, 52, who has been working as the Principal Medical officer in charge of mental health and substance abuse at the ministry of Health has this morning passed on after a long battle with cancer of the uterus. She died at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

Ministry of Health officials have confirmed that Dr Ndyanabangi died at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (UCI) where she was taken a week ago after feeling difficulty in breathing.
“Dr Ndyanabangi started feeling unwell in 2016 after she was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus. She underwent surgery and had her uterus removed.

She went for further check-up in India where she was declared cancer free towards the end of 2016,” Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona the ministry’s senior spokesperson told Daily Monitor Saturday morning.

“However, she continued going for monitoring and during one of her routine checks, in 2017 a blood test indicated that the cancer had spread to other organs in the lower abdomen, and was operated again to remove a swelling that had grown bigger,” Mr Emmanuel explained.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Health, Ndyanabangi had asked not to be treated abroad but to be treated in Uganda by her colleagues.

“In July this year, she was discharged after spending two months in hospital and was re-admitted about a week ago. It is on Tuesday [this week] when she was taken to ICU after developing hardships with breathing and it is unfortunate that she passed on this morning,” Mr Ainebyoona confirmed.

Born in 1966, Dr Ndyanabangi who has also been serving as the National Tobacco Control Focal person at the ministry is also remembered for her key role in advocating for the enactment of the Tobacco Control Act (2015) which regulates the consumption and supply of tobacco and its products.

Moses Talibita, a legal officer at Uganda National Health Consumers' Organisation (UNHCO) said her death is a big blow to the on-going advocacy campaign on the effective implementation of the tobacco law in the country.

“Her tobacco control work touched and shaped many young people. I learnt to be a devoted and spirited tobacco control advocate where our singular purpose was take on assignments that aimed at ridding young people from debilitating effects of tobacco and other narcotics,” Mr Talibita said.

According to the ministry, details about burial arrangements will be communicated in due course.