Baylor College of Medicine
Children’s Foundation - Uganda
Children’s Foundation - Uganda
On 14th and 15th January, a delegation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation – Uganda (BFU), paid a visit to the Rwenzori, Mubende and Bunyoro regions to assess the impact of United States Government funding supporting Global Health Security (GHS) and HIV Programs implemented by BFU.
Led by CDC Country Director, Dr. Mary Boyd and BFU Executive Director, Dithan Kiragga, the delegation kicked off this visit at Kyenjojo Referral Hospital where hospital staff briefed them on the hospital’s MPOX preparedness capacity and prevention of mother-to-child transmission service integration.
This was followed by a conversation on community engagement with the Village Health Teams (VHTs). The meeting highlighted need for selection and training of more VHTs to launch out into the villages, due to the retirement and death of some.
Dr. Boyd encouraged the VHTs to think about the whole patient, focusing on more than a given condition, since persons in the community are at risk of contracting many diseases.
Dr. Kiragga thanked the BFU team, District local government and hospital staff for their dedication and positive outcomes achieved. Dr. Boyd also commended the hospital for maintaining exceptional maternal and child health services. She was particularly pleased to see the lasting impact of the Saving Mothers Giving Life (SMGL) initiative which concluded in 2017 but continues to deliver impactful benefits eight years later.
She also visited Mpondwe Border Point of Entry (PoE) and appreciated BFU and the MOH for supporting Kasese district in strengthening the border health surveillance systems. She applauded the PoE staff for identifying the first MPOX cases and the Kasese leadership for controlling its spread in the district, emphasizing that this dilligence keeps not only Kasese safe, but the whole world, including the US, which is the essence of Global health security.
Dr. Boyde also commended the leadership at Bwera Hospital, highlighting the effectiveness of health programs including the HIV/TB programs and logistical arrangements implemented with MOH and CDC support through Baylor Foundation Uganda. She reaffirmed CDC’s commitment to strengthening public health leadership, data for action, quality of care, and community health initiatives.
