Though Uganda’s health services are weak, joint efforts by the Ministry of Health and organisations such as AMREF have in recent years improved overall access to better health for its people. Today, 72% of the population lives within 5km of a health facility – up from 49% five years ago.
Working with district health councils and health care institutions, AMREF is improving the knowledge and skills of local communities and health professionals through training and partnering – targeting community health workers, water committees and technicians, women’s groups and community leaders.
Major health challenges
Communicable diseases such as malaria are the leading cause of death and illness in Uganda, and women and children are worst affected. AIDS causes most adult deaths and is the main reason for falling life expectancy. Today, an estimated 1 million adults (57% of them women) and 187,000 children are HIV positive. HIV also fuels the TB epidemic – 50% of HIV-positive people have TB, and 30% of them will eventually die as a result.
Rural areas have least access to basic health care, safe water and sanitation. This, alongside poor hygiene, creates high rates of diarrhoeal disease and death in children.
Distance and cost also play their part in Uganda’s health crisis – 13% of people do not seek medical attention because they can’t afford it, or can’t reach clinics. Trained health workers are scarce in rural areas – some districts have as little as 26% of the professional medical staff they need.
Districts in the north and east of Uganda are consistently worse off than those in other regions, largely as result of conflict and insecurity.
AMREF is:
- Providing high-quality training courses and teaching materials for the next generation of primary health workers, nurses and laboratory staff.
- Promoting community-based care for orphans affected by HIV/AIDSin Luwero district.
- Vaccinating children and providing clean water and sanitation in IDP camps in northern Uganda.
- Preventing and managing HIV, TB, malaria and waterborne diseases in Soroti district by strengthening health care systems. This involves training formal and community health workers, raising community awareness and renovating and equipping health centres.
- Empowering young people in Kabale to demand their right to access health services
- Partnering with the Guardian newspaper and Barclays to transform people's lives in Katine in one of the poorest districts in Uganda
- Kawempe Community Health Development Project, Uganda