Uganda

PRIME continues to teach whole person medicine programmes in three clinical schools (which between them produce the GPs of sub-Saharan Africa as well as hospital clinical officers) and our programme for volunteer community health workers. We have also taught several groups of church leaders to encourage them to introduce whole person care by health workers providing both health education and advice within the umbrella of church ministry. This has been in several areas but especially mental health.

PRIME tutors are also involved in whole person healthcare teaching and other practical support in prisons.

PRIME is contributing to a Government approved volunteer health worker training programme. This on going work in association with TEAMS continues to progress with evidence of some significant impact in the community. It is generally felt that the training provided is reducing some disease incidence but it would be wonderful to get robust data to support this. Relationships with the community health clinics are good and the referral process from the volunteer health workers is starting to function well. Links have also been made to the hospital and the senior physiotherapist joined us in a day of teaching on disability. 

We are also supporting a programme of healthcare education and awareness for pastors. In Kampala the PRIME team met with the chairman of the 1,500 full gospel churches in Uganda: His church had continued to give health education to their slum community and disease incidence had reduced. Development in other Churches had not progressed far due to manpower issues but they still shared the vision of whole person ministry and intend to push health education forward in their communities.

Several PRIME tutors have been involved in the development of Palliative Care in Uganda and are helping to train healthcare professionals and others.

PRIME Australia have been working in the Kitgum area with a focus on emergency medicine and first aid. This year there has been some overlap between the two teams.

Several potential new areas of activity are being explored including further input at the clinical officer schools, a new government school, two new church dioceses and a school for nurses and clinical officers from South Sudan who are at present training in Kampala.