Uganda
Uganda’s health services are weak, but joint efforts by the Ministry of Health and organizations like AMREF have improved overall access to better health for its people.
Today, 72% of the population live within 5km of a health facility – up from 49% five years ago.
Working with district health councils and healthcare 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.
Uganda's Major Health Challenges
Communicable diseases such as malaria are the leading cause of death and illness in Uganda. Women and children are most affected. AIDS continues to cause most adult deaths and is the main reason for Uganda’s falling life expectancy rate.
Today, an estimated 1 million adults (57% of them women) and 187,000 children are HIV positive. HIV also fuels the TB epidemic. Half of all HIV positive people have TB, and 30% of them will eventually die as a result.
Rural areas have the least access to basic healthcare, safe water and sanitation. This, alongside with 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 a result of two decades of conflict and insecurity.
AMREF is:
Empowering girls towards better health in Atanga and Kitgum, northern Uganda.
Implementing the Personal Hygiene and Sanitation Education (PHASE) program – a simple but life saving initiative – in schools across Uganda.
Learn more about AMREF's work in:
Ethiopia
Kenya
South Africa
South Sudan
Tanzania
