Uganda

The Need

***Note: Full COVID-19 Vaccination is Required for Participation***

In Uganda, 16 women die every day in childbirth. In 2016, there was a doctor to patient ratio of 1 doctor to 24,000 patients. Hygiene in public hospitals is among the worst in Africa. There is no free medical or dental care for the poor, in a country where 20% of the people live below the poverty line and many, especially in the north, live without toilets of any kind. One-third of children under five years old are stunted. Undernutrition is an underlying cause of 60 percent of deaths for children under five and micronutrient deficiencies, including in vitamin A and iron, are highly prevalent in women and children. Uganda’s population is the second youngest in the world, with half the country’s population younger than fifteen years old. The country has grown by more than 10 million people in the past ten years. Four out of five Ugandan youth (21% of the total population) are unemployed–the highest rate in Africa. For all of these reasons and more, Uganda is a country greatly in need of the acute medical and dental care and community health education provided by IMR. Malaria, respiratory infections, and diarrheal disease are among the most common causes of premature death in Uganda. You will play an important role in the treatment and prevention of these common infections.

A 2016 study found that there is only one physician for every 24,000 patients. Needless to say, the work that you and the IMR team will perform in Uganda will make a lasting difference on the lives of your patients.

During clinic, you will help to treat conditions related to common infections, malaria, respiratory conditions, dihedral diseases, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis. Since many diseases are treatable, your team will administer vaccinations and provide education on how to remain healthy. Another main focus of this mission is dentistry. Because all community members are encouraged to attend, the demand for dental care will be high.

Our Work

International Medical Relief started partnering with Uganda in 2013. Since 2020, we have deployed 141 IMR volunteers and staff, and served over 12,500 patients. IMR was able to provide medical and health educational supplies and worked alongside local officials. IMR will continue our efforts to serve Uganda and provide medical and educational supplies in order to keep reaching the goal of delivering sustainable healthcare to the community. 

With diligent planning and preparation, IMR is dedicated to ensuring that specific goals are met on our missions, each in correlation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 17.

IMR works to elevate vulnerable populations through shoulder-to-shoulder care with our local partners, creating workforce density, and a cadre of future healthcare and public health leaders in association to UNSDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing. 

In correlation with UNSDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, our organization works in collaboration and at the request of local hosts where we are under their direct influence and affluence. IMR never goes into a country without a formal invitation where there is a great community need for medical or dental care, and health education.

This Mission

Join IMR as we return to Uganda to provide lifesaving care and extensive health education in small villages around Kampala, Jinja, and beyond. IMR partners with multiple Ugandan organizations in diverse locations to provide healthcare to patients with significant acute medical and dental conditions. Your team will work with some very special patients during your trip! Your team will also participate in an ongoing effort to empower communities to take steps for better preventative care through community health education and in training community members to help others in their communities. Please join us in this remarkable country! As Winston Churchill wrote in 1907, ‘For magnificence, for variety of form and color, for profusion of brilliant life — bird, insect, reptile, beast — for vast scale — Uganda is truly “the Pearl of Africa.” The Kingdom of Uganda is a fairy tale. The scenery is different, the climate is different and most of all, the people are different from anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa….what message I bring back….concentrate on Uganda.” Please join IMR to experience one of Africa’s friendliest, safest, most secure, stable countries, designated as the “best country to visit’ by Lonely Planet. Come see for yourself as you care for the people of this beautiful land.

Lodging/Transportation

Your team will fly into Entebbe and transfer to a nearby hotel where you will spend your first night. From day two onward, you will be accommodated in Jinja in a clean, comfortable but modest hotel. Your team will have the opportunity to explore many small villages while providing care. A village stay for one night may also on the agenda!

Highlights

In clinic, you will find that your efforts make a tangible difference as you treat many patients with infectious disease, large wounds, and a great deal of mosquito and water-borne illness. You’ll be able to do house calls for homebound elders, provide acute care for the large Albino community in the surrounding area, and work in a village that will welcome your care with open arms and giant hearts.

After a busy clinic schedule, the team will see some of the world’s most amazing animals “up close” on your one-day safari, which is included in this trip! Uganda is an excellent place to spot the “big five”–the African lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, African leopard, and rhinoceros! But that’s not all, your team will also have the chance to visit Lake Victoria and the infamous equator line which separates the southern and northern hemispheres.

Extend Your Stay

You’re journeying halfway across the globe. Have you considered extending your stay to visit some of Uganda’s top spots? Join International Medical Relief on an exclusive trip extension provided by our partner, Worldwide Navigators!

• Trek into the mountain rainforest as you search for the famed gorillas in the mist
• Explore the spectacular Virunga Volcanoes
• Experience a guided walking safari at Lake Mburo National Park