In Amref Uganda, a total of 23 projects were implemented in 2023, spanning five distinct regions and four program areas. These program areas were WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene), RMNCAH (Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health), disease control and prevention (including COVID 19), and Human Resources for Health.
Amref Health Africa with funding from the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is implementing a Resilient migrant and host community in Africa (RMAHCA) project which strengthens the capacity and resilience of small-scale farmers, in particular women and youth groups to improve the nutrition and health situation for South Sudanese refugees and host communities in Adjumani and the conflict-affected population in Marida & Ibba (SSD).
The project targets women of child bearing age, youth groups, children under 5 years of age, school children and small scale farmers in the project communities to be implemented in 3 years starting September 2020 to August 2023.
The project has 3 objectives which are: to strengthen agricultural skills and capacity for diversified food production and (child) nutrition practice of women, youth groups, and farmers to improve their nutrition situation and livelihood, to improve the WASH situation and increase access to and demand for health services in the targeted communities and to enhance the capacities of refugees and host communities for peace-building, conflict-resolution, and community reconciliation.
Amref Health Africa with funding from the UK’s Foreign, Development & Commonwealth Office and Unilever is implementing a 1 year project in Kampala and Wakiso in partnership with UNICEF. The goal of the project is to increase vaccination awareness and hygiene targeting the general populations within 22 districts in central, Northern and North-Eastern Uganda. The project targets people aged 18 years and above in Kampala and Wakiso, people aged 18 years and above in 22 districts with the lowest COVID-19 vaccine coverage and pupils in 50 primary schools in Kampala city.
The Ebola conversation
During the period of reporting, there was an outbreak of Ebola in Mubende and Kasanda districts of Uganda that spread to 7 other districts including Kampala and Wakiso. We incorporated Ebola messages in our communications and engaged the audience on hand-washing as a key preventative measure against viral infections like Ebola and COVID 19.
With funding from the Waterloo foundation, Amref Health Africa in Uganda implemented a 3 month project from July to September 2022 in Terego district, Uriama sub county to reduce the incidence of malaria, diarrhea and Pneumonia at community level and improve awareness on COVID-19 infection, prevention, control and Home-Based Care by the communities through capacity building for health workforce, provision of Logistics for HBC and ICCM and service delivery strengthening.
With funding from the Amref Uk and an anonymous , Amref Health Africa in Uganda is implementing a 5 year project from September 1st – August 2026 whose goal is to reduce rates of teenage pregnancy and improve access to WASH for 39,000 people living in Pabbo and Lamogi sub counties in Amuru district. The project’s objectives are to increase access to safe water in 18 schools and 62 villages, deliver comprehensive and accurate SRHR information and training to young people and communities and improve governance and coordination to create an enabling environment for WASH and SRHR.
The project’s target populations are primary school children, youths, women and men in Lamogi, Pabbo sub-counties in Amuru district.
Piwa Maleng phase II applies community engagement and linkages, capacity building of community based structures and formal health workers, social accountability and health promotion strategies in order to achieve it’s final outputs.
With funding from Amref Flying doctors Netherlands, Amref Health Africa Uganda is implementing a project in Amuru sub-county in Amuru District to integrate Sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene interventions using a modular business model to take the proposed intervention to scale.
The project is aimed at reducing teenage pregnancy through increased access to Safe Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and advocacy for increased funding towards WASH and SRHR. Amuru Sub County has been prioritized because it has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the district at 12% and has the lowest safe water coverage (58%), poor hygiene, and sanitation (10% hand-washing coverage and 57% latrine coverage) indicators in the district.
The project duration is 3 years from 2021-2024
With funding from the Peter Wellemberg Foundation and Water4All, Amref health Africa in Uganda is implementing a 30 month project from February 1, 2021 to July 31, 2023 in Pader district to increase access to inclusive WASH for 5,100 pupils and 14,400, community members through solar power and boreholes repair. Pader District has an average safe water access of 62%, but 39% of the 231,700 people still practice open defecation. Community members and school children struggle for safe water sources, leading to school dropout rates and a 63% lower literacy rate.
Efforts to increase access to safe water and sanitation have been successful, with community members contributing to Community Capital Cost Contributions (CCCs), Water and Sanitation User Committees (WSCs), and Parish sanitation coordination committees. Amref has been working in Pader for 18 years to improve access to basic WASH services and strengthen community capacity to operate and maintain these services.
As of July 2019, Amref Health Africa is actively collaborating with De-LAB to disseminate the KOKONO product, a cradle made of highly biodegradable material, 100% produced in Uganda and distributed by local networks of women in low income settings.
KOKONO was conceived by De-LAB to mitigate exposures to health and safety risks among babies especially below one year of age. KOKONO was designed to be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030, on reduction of preventable newborn and childhood deaths. Particularly, the crib protects new born babies from mosquito bites and other animal bites, childhood illnesses, accidents and can potentially aid reduction in infant mortality.
The crib is rigid, covered with a mosquito net, washable and frugal, so as to be financially accessible to low-income communities in need of a safe space for babies during day and night-time. The KOKONO crib can be used both indoors and outdoors while staying at home or moving.
Trade Mark East Africa Uganda with funding from the Government of Denmark is implementing a 7 months project in partnership with Amref Health Africa in Uganda to increase awareness and uptake of COVID 19 vaccines among track drivers and target members of the business community.
The project will be implemented in transit towns, transport companies in major towns where drivers come across border points which include;
(1)Busia – Busia district (ii)Malaba – Tororo district, (iii)Elegu – Amuru district (iv)Mirama Hills – Ntungamo district( (v)Mutukula – Kyotera district( vi)Bunagana – Kisoro district( vii)Vura – Arua district( viii)Katuna – Kabale district.
Amref employs a multi-sectoral approach to reach primarily truck drivers and the other members of the business community who interact closely with the drivers to ensure that they are vaccinated against COVID 19.
With funding from the European Union, Amref Health Africa in Uganda is implementing a project titled “Scaling up reduction of teenage pregnancies among vulnerable girls in Eastern Uganda” whose overall objective is to contribute to the reduction of teenage pregnancies, through enabling local authorities and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to engage as actors of governance and development, by Dec 2024.
The Specific Objective is to prevent and respond to teenage pregnancies in Bugiri and Namutumba districts (Eastern Region), by Dec 2024 through capacity building and engagement of relevant authorities and duty bearers, including legal, social, economic, medical, and psycho-social service providers; and through awareness creation and empowerment of the community and right holders (especially teenagers) on their SRHR via CSOs/CBOs. All the society and community layers are actively engaged as actors of change and appropriate prevention and management of teenage pregnancies.
Heroes for Gender Transformative Action programme is designed to address key Sexual reproductive Health and Rights barriers in 9 high burden districts in Uganda. It is implemented in a consortium of four organizations namely; Amref Health Africa in Uganda, Cordaid Uganda , Mifumi and International Research Center for Women. This consortium is formed on the basis of the comparative advantage of each of the partners however working together to promote synergies.
The program empowers young girls, boys and women to make informed decisions on SRHR and be empowered to say no to Sexual Gender Based Violence which remains one of the severe forms of gender inequality that affects health outcomes.
The program is being implemented over 4 years from November 2020 to November 2024.
Amref health Africa in Uganda is implementing the Saving Lives and Livelihoods project which is a 3 year $1.5 billion partnership between the MasterCard foundation and the Africa CDC designed to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for nearly 65 million people, enable vaccine delivery and administration to vaccinate millions more, develop a workforce to support continental vaccine manufacturing.
The partnership builds on the ongoing efforts of AVAT, COVAX, WHO, and governments to provide access to vaccines to Africa and support the African Union’s goal of vaccinating 70% of Africa’s population by the end of 2022.
With funding from the Pfizer foundation, Amref Health Africa in Uganda is implementing a 12 months project from November 2022 to October 2023 aimed at strengthening the capacity of the existing vaccination sites to provide COVID-19 vaccines to eligible population, strengthening COVID-19 data collection, monitoring and reporting and strengthening planning and coordination of COVID19 vaccination interventions in the six project districts of West Nile sub-region namely Zombo, Madi Okollo, Terego, Koboko, Moyo and Adjumani.
The project is targeted towards all population eligible for COVID-19 vaccination as per WHO/MOH guidelines there fore children 12 to 17 years and individuals above 18 years
Ministry Of Health in Uganda developed a national Community Health Strategy NCHS which was launched in February 2023. The goal of the NCHS is to have a responsive, resilient and people-centered health system that protects and promotes the health and well-being of all people in Uganda.
Amref recognizes that investing in the data management and financing components of the NCHS is a good contribution towards supporting MOH.
The goal is to contribute towards functionalizing MOH National Community Health Strategy (NCHS) by the end of 2023.
Specifically:
This project is being implemented by Amref Health Africa in Uganda with funding from an anonymous Donor and Amref UK. The project is being implemented in the districts of Arua, Nebbi, Zombo, Koboko, Yumbe and Moyo districts, in the West Nile Region, Uganda. The project duration is 36 months (November 2022 to October 2025). The main project aim is To improve the health and socio-economic status of women who have suffered from obstetric fistula and other obstetric conditions.
This project is being implemented by Amref Health Africa in Uganda with funding from an anonymous Donor and Amref UK. The project is being implemented in the districts of Arua, Nebbi, Zombo, Koboko, Yumbe and Moyo districts, in the West Nile Region, Uganda. The project duration is 36 months (November 2022 to October 2025). The main project aim is To improve the health and socio-economic status of women who have suffered from obstetric fistula and other obstetric conditions.
Amref Health Africa
