Mothers and children queuing outside Serere health centre which is benefiting from renovation and training of its staff through the AMREF project. Soroti District, Uganda. © Antonia Pannell, AMREF UK.
In 2007/08 The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation provided a grant of £21,908 for a malaria project in Soroti district, Eastern Uganda, run by AMREF, the African Medical and Research Foundation. Soroti district is one of the poorest districts in the country, with very limited access to health services. Only 13% of the population lives within 5 km of a health facility. Malaria is the leading cause of illness in Soroti, contributing to 97% of cases at health centres, yet can be prevented and treated. Children are particularly vulnerable to malaria and child mortality is at 150/1,000; this figure currently stands at 1 or 2/1,000 in the UK.
The project seeks to improve the health of disadvantaged people through the prevention and treatment of malaria, and building the capacity of local health services to deliver effective primary healthcare. The project specifically works to improve the health of pregnant women and children under five. By renovating and equipping seven health centres and training the health workers who staff these, the project is strengthening health services provided in Soroti. Furthermore, the project is working at the community level, distributing mosquito nets and training community health workers to provide health education and to refer cases of malaria to health centres.
The project is part of a larger programme in Soroti funded by the European Commission. Funding from The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation has had a ‘leverage’ effect allowing AMREF to secure this grant and reach a larger number of people.
Visit the African Medical and Research Foundation website.