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Project Description:

Healthy Generations is the charitable Foundation of the Healthy Child Uganda project.

The goal of this project is to build capacity at thirteen rural health centres in Healthy Child Uganda (HCU) project areas. Local health centres provide services such as health education, referrals to regional treatment centres, child growth monitoring services, immunizations, antenatal care and deliveries and care and treatment for serious common illnesses such as malaria and measles.

These government health centres provide free services to local communities, but are extremely under funded. They experience frequent drug shortages, have little diagnostic capabilities, are understaffed and are run by health workers with often only rudimentary training.

The main focal improvement areas of this project are health centre sanitation, client care and infrastructure as well as staff training. However, through staff training, motivational activities such as competitions and provisions of essential equipment such as weighing scales, the quality of care can be improved immensely.

Malnutrition is a major underlying cause of death amongst under fives in Africa. Consistent growth monitoring combined with nutritional education can significantly decrease child malnutrition. In addition, in HCU project areas 20% of all under five child deaths occur in the neonatal period. Good newborn and antenatal care can help prevent these deaths. Provision of weighing scales for growth monitoring and health worker training on newborn and antenatal care are two interventions which can decrease malnutrition rates and neonatal deaths.

Over the past five years, Healthy Child Uganda has painted all health centres in project areas with child friendly educational murals, and has held one health centre improvement competition with a second under way. HCU has provided over 500 days of health worker training and over 840 days of health worker training of trainers. This Health Centre Capacity Building Project aims to support Healthy Child Uganda in continuing this work during 2009. The project will provide training for local health care workers, fund a health centre improvement competition and support the purchase of child and infant weighing scales for those health centres whose scales have broken.

Update from the field: November 2009

Two health workers received advanced training in managing children with disabilities. They have conducted outreaches in rural communities with poor access to health care in 3 remote communities, visiting with many disabled children on each occasion. They help provide care where possible in the community setting and refer to appropriate resources when needed. One young child who was unable to walk, was provided with an age appropriate walker and can move around the village unassisted. An additional two health workers will receive similar training next month. Handwashing facilities and lanterns previously provided through Uend funding continue to help health centres function better. Weighing scales are used for outreach in identifying malnourished children and for ensuring proper drug dosing for children.

Update from the field: September 2009

Out of 18 weigh scales, 15 have now been distributed according to the needs of the health centres as determined by audit. Distributions have been as follows: two scales to the pediatrics ward and two to the maternity ward at Mbarara Regional Hospital; two scales to the Holy Innocents Children’s Hospital; three scales to Kinoni Health Centre IV; three to Rugazi Health Centre IV; one to Katerera Health Centre III, one to Bwizibwera Health Centre IV and one to Ihunga Health Centre II; three scales remain in the office. The scales serve a dual purpose, having been purchased for and first used in a previous survey conducted by Healthy Child Uganda.

Regularly scheduled competitions and the award of certificates and small prizes help to maintain morale and motivation among health care providers who often face very challenging circumstances. Quarterly dramatic competitions have continued, with the parishes of Ryamiyonga, Rugazi and Mirongo being among the award recipients. Recently, a trophy was awarded for the “Use What You Have Learned” competition as well as a certificate for the winner of the Health Centre Competition Award.

Mr. Tibinyeba, member of the Bwizibwera Health Center Management Committee and Chairman of LC3 Rubaya had this to say: “CORPS are really resourceful… tell (Healthy Child Uganda) the project can extend to other areas in Rubaya.”


Update from the field: March 2009

Judging for the Health Centre competitions took place with Kibaare Health Centre II, Katerera Health Centre III and Bwizibwera Health Centre IV taking top spots in their divisions.