HCU Celebrates its 10th Anniversary!

HCU 10th Anniversary Cake

Fall 2013 marked the 10th year of Healthy Child Uganda – a partnership among Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS), and University of Calgary, with active participation by local Ugandan communities and health districts. HCU develops, implements and evaluates programs and provides training so Ugandan health care staff, community health workers, and community members themselves are better able to prevent maternal, newborn and child deaths and to keep children healthy. Health outcomes for children under five are promising: a control-intervention comparison in 2009 found a 1/3 drop in malarial and severe diarrhoeal incidence over 18 months in the Healthy Child Uganda communities.movie The Circle streaming

Highlights of partnership activities include:

  • Over 5,500 Community Health Workers/Village Health Teams trained in 4 districts in Southwestern Uganda
  • Collaborative training for 500 health professionals in newborn resuscitation, safe delivery, care for sick children, nutrition, and leadership and management
  • Work with 50+ health centres on a mother-child friendly facility program
  • 15,000 insecticide-treated bednets distributed to families with children under 5
  • Over 1,000 birth kits distributed at health centres for expectant mothers
  • 144 MUST students provided with an opportunity to gain experience in rural communities

HCU celebrated with a field visit to Swazi HC II, as well as with the Village Health Teams. The afternoon event was in traditional Ugandan fashion with music, food, a 10th anniversary cake, and many speeches.

Healthy Child Uganda has accomplished so much in the last 10 years; we are so grateful to all of our volunteers, staff, partners, and donors, who have made it all possible.