Canadian University Projects in International Development Database (CUPID)

Africa

Uganda

• Enhancing rural livelihoods in Uganda through sustainable community tourism
• Strengthening Child Health in Rural Uganda
• Health Management Training in Uganda
• Uganda Sustainable Clubfoot Care Project

Enhancing rural livelihoods in Uganda through sustainable community tourism

Project purpose:
The purpose of the project is to improve institutional, technological and human resource capacity to develop sustainable tourism and biodiversity conservation strategies. This will help stimulate private-sector development at the community level, address environmental issues and promote good governance.

Key results to date:
Curriculum for a new master¿s degree in sustainable tourism at Makerere University (MU) has been developed and approved by the university Senate. Three small cohorts totaling 12 students (1F/11M) are enrolled in the program. A Sustainable Tourism and Biodiversity Conservation Resource Centre has been established in the Department of Wildlife and Animal Resource Management and consist of a GIS Lab, a library and 50 workstations complete with desk space, LAN and internet, three LISREL and NVIVo licenses and 10 ESRI ARC GIS licenses were also purchased and installed on the GIS lab computers.Seven faculty members from MU (2F/5M) received experiential training in sustainable nature-based tourism. They interacted with leading researchers and practitioners. Lessons learned have been incorporated into case studies in tourism courses. Three PhD students (F) were also identified from current MU lecturers to present thesis proposals, two of which completed a six-month scholarship in Canada, and have all begun their research. A baseline study of communities bordering protected areas identified concerns and opportunities leading to formalized agreements with the Ruhija community bordering the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and with Kyanyawara Ibura in the Kibale-Simliki region for them to be demonstration sites. As a result, four income-generating initiatives related to sustainable tourism and biodiversity conservation were developed and are all forecast to continue to generate new opportunities. Two stakeholders meetings have been held in Kampala to discuss opportunities, best practices and policy implications related to sustainable tourism. The project has also organized a symposium which attracted participants form several neighboring African countries and a number of influential policy makers from Uganda and Kenya. Additional linkages were made to retailers in Banff, Alberta who for a time sold community products.

Uganda Sustainable Clubfoot Care Project

Project purpose:
The project purpose is to make available in a sustainable fashion a universal, effective, efficient and safe treatment of the congenital clubfoot deformity in Uganda.

Key results to date:
The Ministry of Health approved the Ponseti method to treat the congenital clubfoot deformity in all its hospitals in Uganda. To date, 2171 children have received treatment at 36 clubfoot clinics that are operational in all of Uganda's four regions. One thousand health care professionals have benefited from training in the Ponseti method (including 147 orthopedic officers, 26 orthopedic technicians, 815 nurses and 12 surgeons). Together, the project and the ministry have run a paper-based awareness campaign to spread the message that clubfoot can be treated and that treatment is free. In conjunction with Uganda's medical and paramedical schools, the project has developed a comprehensive Ponseti Method training module for healthcare students. This is now being used in 50% of the Uganda schools of healthcare. To date, 2705 students have benefited including 638 (429M, 209F) medical students, 41 (39M, 2F) residents, 659 (458M, 201F) student orthopaedic officers, 171 (127M, 44F) student orthopaedic technicians and 1196 (229M, 967F) student nurses. Six other African countries have asked and received help from Ugandan trainers. Approximately $150,000 CAD has been raised to extend CIDA-funded results.

Strengthening Child Health in Rural Uganda

Project purpose:
In response to the urgent needs of children in rural Uganda, the project aims to improve health for approximately 20,000 children under five in three sub-districts in southwestern Uganda. Specifically, the community-integrated management of childhood illness will target lower rates of infant and child mortality, improved immunization and better nutrition through health education.

Key results to date:
During the project period (2005-2011) Healthy Child Uganda (HCU) strengthened linkages between Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mbarara and Bushenyi Health Districts, rural health centres, communities and local councils involved in child health activities. Eighteen parishes (175 villages) now have HCU-trained community health workers (CHWs): Fully-functional HCU-trained CHWs numbered 350 by project end. One hundred and forty-three local health workers received upgrading of child health skills and knowledge. Local children (over 100,000 cumulative) attended hundreds of Child Health Days in rural communities. CHWs conducted more than 105,000 health talks, 130,000 home visits, and 25,000 assessments of sick young children. Over seventy-five children with special needs benefited from additional care and rehabilitation. Between 2005 and 2010, CHW reach exceeded 35,000 children under five years old (cumulative) and covered a total population of 100,000. HCU community model evaluation has demonstrated dramatic improvements in child survival and morbidity. CHWs have reported declines in child mortality of over 50%; 1/3 fewer young children were sick with malaria/pneumonia/diarrhea and malnutrition. Bed net use, safe deliveries, maternal tetanus vaccination and vitamin A are more prevalent. Notable community-building spin-offs have resulted, including CHW team income-generating, transportation and water initiatives, improved family relationships, hygiene and sanitation, and new opportunities for small business (especially among women). CHW retention has been impressive: 85% after 5 years. Faculty members from MUST, nurses, midwives, nursing assistants and students working in difficult locations with few resources have enthusiastically contributed to activities, helping to build stronger relationships between communities and local health providers. Numerous training curricula and materials have been developed including a community health worker trainers' course, a child health training course for community health workers, a community development training course for community health workers and trainers, a participatory community-based nutrition course, micro research faculty training, IMCI training materials for MUST health science students, and training programs on use of locally made puppets, games, and flannel boards. CHWs and their communities have been involved in hundreds of health, community-development and income-generating projects. Over one hundred MUST students have gained experience working with local communities. Based on focus group discussion feedback from HCU communities, hygiene and sanitation have improved, women are more empowered, especially economically, and relationships between men and women in households are now better, attributed to activities of CHWs.

Health Management Training in Uganda

Project purpose:
The project has been designed to improve the quality of health care delivery in Uganda through better management and orientation of health care workers toward primary health care.

Key results to date:
At the end of the project, a total of 132 district and sub-district health managers from Northern Uganda have been trained through a university-level continuing education program to integrate district health responsibilities. Professors from Makerere University's Institute of Public Health and from the faculty of medicine have developed their skills in teaching, problem-based learning, research methodology and management. A health management certificate course in distance education was launched in 2007 with 30 candidates already employed in the health sector. The course is now part of the university's regular offerings and enables Ugandan district health team members to upgrade their knowledge and skills in health management. The project also contributed directly to better health care in the Kabarole district. The project team was successful in attracting $1.5 million in research grants to further strengthen HIV/AIDs related research collaborations in the communities. In total, nine peer-reviewed articles were published.