Healthcare

From a health point of view, Karamoja presents alarming health indicators, with a maternal mortality rate estimated at 588/100,000 live births against a national average of 336/100,000 live births in 2016 (Leaving no one behind, UNFPA, 2018), a under-five mortality of 102/1,000 live births and infant mortality of 72/1,000 live births (Demographic Health Survey 2016).

AMCS intervenes in the health sector by supporting, since its foundation, the dispensaries of Lopotuk and Tapac, in the Diocese of Moroto, which are responsible for providing prevention, care, health promotion and protection services with a department specialized in maternal and child health, consultancy for family planning, support services (e.g. laboratory tests) and home and school health care, including vaccination campaigns.

This approach is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and in particular with SDG 3 and aims to guarantee a healthy life and promote the well-being of all at all ages and addresses issues such as maternal and infant mortality, the fight against communicable diseases and linked to precarious living conditions, the presence of services and health personnel to protect the population.

Support to dispensaries is not limited to the constant supply of medicines and tools, but is part of a program that includes continuous training of health personnel, to guarantee an adequate level of services to the population, awareness raising in the health sector for users, communities and schools and is linked to interventions in the WASH field, for the prevention and treatment of diseases related to the use of unhealthy water and outdoor defecation and to agricultural-livestock projects, on the one hand increasing the awareness of population on the importance of good nutrition, to treat malnutrition and malnutrition, on the other hand in the prevention of zoonoses with epidemic potential, with a view to global health in line with Ugandan national policies and Italian and international cooperation.