Steadfastly serving refugees in Uganda with compassionate care.
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malnutrition screenings
babies delivered safely
Medical Teams has worked in Uganda since 2004, responding to new and long-term crises affecting refugees. We’ve welcomed thousands of courageous people who were forced to leave home for their own safety. We’ve cared alongside them through evolving crises, from Ebola outbreaks to conflict in neighboring countries.
Since 2004, Medical Teams has continued to save lives at 7 sites across Uganda. We make health care easier to access for both refugees and Ugandans alike.
We are also the lead health partner for the U.N. Refugee Agency in Uganda. Our staff’s friendly faces welcome people crossing the border with compassionate care.
Our programs in Uganda are extensive. We care for families at clinics located where people are — in refugee settlements. Mothers get prenatal care, children receive vaccines, and families know where to turn for fevers or chronic diseases. We stock clinics with everything from gauze to life-saving treatments, for things like malaria or malnutrition. We built the first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in a refugee settlement in the country, and recently built a second to provide much-needed care for premature newborns.
Our psychiatrists and mental health care teams help people struggling with their mental well-being. We have over 1,600 volunteers from the communities we serve, helping their neighbors get access to care. Faith leaders connect across religions and lead their congregations in healthy practices.
Most importantly, we see the people we serve alongside in Uganda as who they truly are — not just as patients, but as our brothers and sisters.
Our areas of work
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Our work in Uganda began with Ugandans. We cared for people forced by violence to leave home in other parts of their country. Today, as the political landscape in neighboring countries has changed, we now care for people seeking refuge in Uganda and for the local community.
Currently, about 1.5 million people have sought refuge in Uganda. We care for a population of about 1.1 million people across the country.
Most of the people we serve come from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Rwanda. The politics of each country have often resulted in conflict or violence, forcing people to leave home with little warning. They arrive in Uganda scared and exhausted after life-threatening journeys to safety.
Many refugees in Uganda want to go home again. They only leave because their lives are at risk. Many are eager to help their neighbors by volunteering or providing support in other ways.
Uganda is the fourth largest host of refugees in the world. As the most politically stable country relative to its neighbors, many people fleeing violence take shelter there.
That said, as the largest host of refugees in Africa, Uganda’s health system has been strained by the influx of people. Many international aid organizations, including Medical Teams, partner with the Ugandan government to care for refugees.
Our team in Uganda consists of more than 3,000 team members at 7 different sites across the country. Most of our full-time staff are from Uganda, and about 17% of our staff are refugees themselves. About 47% of our team are local volunteers, largely from the communities we serve. We trust and value their unique perspective and insights about what their communities need.
Note: The numbers and statistics reflected on this page were collected from October 2021 – September 2022.
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