“Healthy Villages” is an innovative, grassroots approach to addressing rural healthcare and public health in Uganda. Its goal is to improve the provision of healthcare and of preventative health education to underserved populations across rural Iganga District.  Healthy Villages targets the primary health risks of the region at a village-by-village level, in partnership with the District Health Office (DHO) of Iganga, the Sub-County officials, and the local Health Center staff.

We launched Healthy Villages in five villages during the summer of 2009, and continue to expand in the 70 chosen villages. All villages are based around five health centers, and all fall into the bottom quartile in sanitation and access to clean water. In this way, we have chosen to work with the most underserved villages in Iganga District.

Healthy Villages at Work

Through the Healthy Villages program, we work at a village-by-village level to address the most pressing healthcare concerns of each community; malaria, eye care, HIV/STIs,  household sanitation and hygiene practices (which includes latrine coverage), and family planning access. We partner with community based organizations, non-governmental organizations, international and national interns, volunteers, and government officials ranging from the district to the village level.

In each of our Healthy Villages, we: Create Village Health Teams which function as a community’s initial healthcare contact Provide preventative education and workshops on healthcare issue such as malaria, hygiene and sanitation, eye care, family planning and obstetric fistula Provide preventative healthcare options such as STI /HIV testing and family planning Collaborate with local partners to provide healthcare by creating referral networks whereby VHT focal people and Health Centers alert UVP if a patient requires care beyond local capacity (such as cataract removal, obstetric fistula repair), and UVP coordinates services through camps or at a specialty site Provide  malaria nets (subsidized by UVP so as to be affordable) to village households, both through direct sales and through setting up supply chains using the VHT

Healthy Village Profiles – Learn More! 2012 Villages Kazigo A Kazigo B Kidaago A Kidaago B Namunkesu 2011  Villages Nakamini Bulamagi Nawansega B 2010 Villages Buwaiswa Bunio Buwolomera Nabukone Namungalwe Rural 2009 Villages Bugabula Bulumwaki Butongole Nabitovu Walakuba