Hello from Uganda!

Good afternoon from Uganda!

Lake Victoria!

I've been in Uganda for almost a month now, and in that time, have experienced incredible hospitality, several new foods, and more power outages than I can count.  This is my first time in Africa, and it's been a great experience so far.  I live in a village just out of Entebbe, where everyone has been very helpful and friendly - I probably hear "Hi, Mzungu!" at least five times a day!

I've spent the first few weeks getting familiar with the area and doing a lot of research on the existing healthcare infrastructure here in Uganda.  Despite public healthcare facilities offering services free of charge, there is certainly work to be done in getting to optimal health outcomes.  It's been especially eye-opening to discover that the leading causes of death in Uganda are treatable conditions that have been effectively eradicated in other countries.  While the increased world attention on the need to eradicate diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis has brought needed resources to underserved areas, many governments and aid agencies are understandably operating in crisis mode, leaving the future of healthcare in many countries such as Uganda uncertain.

I'm excited to spend time exploring the country to better understand how services and treatments are delivered and to speak directly to providers and patients alike on what they view as the largest accomplishments and challenges they see on a daily basis.

Obligatory wildlife photo - a rhino in the Entebbe zoo!

Until Next Time!
Amey