NAPAK, Uganda:
More than 260 children, caregivers, pregnant women, and adolescent girls in Lorengecora Sub-county, Napak District have benefited from a biannual integrated health outreach organized by Share An Opportunity Uganda (SAO Uganda) under the Child-Centred Community Development (CCCD) Project, with support from Help a Child Africa (HACA), aimed at improving access to essential healthcare services for vulnerable communities.
The two-day outreach, conducted from 2nd to 4th June 2026 at Kalengeriae ECD Centre and Arise and Shine ECD Centre in Nawatom, brought together a team of four health professionals comprising a health assistant, a nurse, and two midwives to deliver immunization, antenatal care (ANC), nutrition counselling, malaria testing, deworming, growth monitoring, and health education.
The initiative was designed to improve the health and nutrition status of children under seven years and pregnant women by increasing access to preventive and curative health services within Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres, reducing the need for long and costly journeys to health facilities.
A total of 260 beneficiaries participated in the outreach, including 132 males and 128 females, among them two persons with disabilities, demonstrating the programme's commitment to inclusive service delivery.
Health workers immunized 60 children, comprising 35 girls and 25 boys, while 186 children aged between one and five years received deworming medication. The outreach also provided Tetanus Toxoid vaccination to 11 adolescent girls, although six others missed out due to vaccine shortages.
Maternal health services formed another key component of the outreach. Eleven pregnant women attended antenatal care services, with eight women (73%) screened for HIV, syphilis, and malaria. All expectant mothers received nutrition counselling alongside routine ANC services.
The integrated outreach also strengthened disease surveillance among children. Thirty-four children underwent malaria rapid diagnostic testing (MRDT), of whom 25 tested positive for malaria and received appropriate treatment or referrals, while nine tested negative. Health workers simultaneously conducted growth monitoring to identify early signs of malnutrition, using Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) tapes and growth charts to assess children's nutritional status.
Beyond clinical services, caregivers participated in health education sessions covering exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding, routine childhood immunization schedules, malaria prevention, hygiene and sanitation, birth preparedness, and the importance of attending at least four antenatal care visits during pregnancy.
According to SAO Uganda, delivering multiple health services through a single integrated outreach significantly improved efficiency and encouraged greater community participation. Caregivers were able to access immunization, antenatal care, malaria testing, nutrition services, and health education during one visit, reducing waiting times and transportation challenges.
Despite the success, the outreach encountered several challenges that affected service delivery. Limited stocks of Tetanus vaccines prevented six adolescent girls from receiving vaccination, while shortages of malaria testing kits reduced the number of children who could be screened. Poor mobilization of pregnant mothers, inadequate HPV vaccine supplies, limited facilitation for Village Health Teams (VHTs), and a shortage of health workers also constrained implementation.
As part of follow-up efforts, caregivers whose children received vaccinations have been encouraged to return for subsequent immunization sessions scheduled for 2nd and 9th July 2026, ensuring children complete their recommended vaccination schedules.
The outreach was implemented under the Child-Centred Community Development (CCCD) Project, a long-term initiative through which Share An Opportunity Uganda works with communities to improve the well-being of vulnerable children by strengthening access to quality health, education, protection, and livelihood services.