General Information

All about the Moru Clinic

Uganda

Uganda is located in East Africa and has a population of about 41 million people. The population is constantly growing also because of the many refugees that enter the country, especially from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This leads to Uganda's having to meet the constant challenges of reallocating resources, create more jobs and education and integrating diverse cultures.

Health

Uganda's people are subject to a variety of infectious diseases. Among these are malaria, diarrhea, HIV, and diseases of the respiratory system. These often lead to death for local people.
Transmission of disease is facilitated through risk factors such as unprotected sexual activity, dirty, bacterially infected water, and lack of basic knowledge about maintaining health. The general malnutrition of rural populations also contributes to this dire situation.

The Challenge

Health Care System

Uganda's health care system is organized along district lines and has four levels:
The lowest level is Health Center I, which is basically a resource for spreading information. The next level is Health Center II, which is an ambulatory service which is led by a nurse. She is responsible for providing limited health services for up to 5000 people.
Health Centers III have a Health Officer, who is qualified to do more than can be done at the level of Health Center II. For example, babies can be delivered at this type of center. Health Center III clinics have responsibility for about 10,000 people.
The highest level of Health Center is Health Center IV, which is led by a doctor. In general the doctors at this level will also perform surgeries as well as performing diagnoses and carrying out various treatments.

Financial Issues

Medicines in Uganda are often made in Asia and generally contain fewer active medicinal ingredients than their European counterparts. European medicines are sometimes available, but are considerably more expensive than the ones manufactured in Asia.
People with chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or HIV are only infrequently able to receive proper medication to manage their diseases, and are rarely able to afford the regular checkup appointments needed to manage these diseases.
A nurse in Uganda earns about 162,- Euro per month. A Health Officer, whose medical training exceeds that of a nurse already earns 465,- Euros per month.
In comparison, a doctor earns at most 1200,- Euros per month. Their medical training is only above that of a Health Officer in the realm of surgery.

Births

Women in Uganda bear an average of six children despite the fact that there are high risks to pregnancies in rural areas.
Along with malnutrition and a lack of clean water there is also no chance of regular ultrasound examinations, as they do not have the financial means and would have to travel to the nearest city to access such services.
This is why avoidable complications that could have been corrected are frequently undiagnosed and often lead to the death of the mother, the child, or both during labour.
About 1/3 of married women are using birth control measures such as injections, implants, sterilization, birth control pills or condoms. Health services, also at Moru-Clinic, provide knowledge about various methods of avoiding pregnancy.

The Solution

The city of Mbarara lies 285 km west of Kampala. It is also the center of the Isingiro District. In Mile 27 South Mbarara you will find the Moru Clinic. The time to drive from Mbarara to Mile 27 is about 50 minutes.

Help for all

Moru Clinic was upgraded from a level II Health Care Center to a level III Health Care Center in June 2018. It now has a Health Officer. Together with Carol and another nurse the Moru Clinic is now able to diagnose and treat a larger spectrum of diseases.
Pregnant women can access health care here that they would normally not be able to afford.

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