top of page

FIGHTING HIV&AIDS THROUGH SPORTS

​

​

​The report by the ministry of health which was released in March 2012 on Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey revealed bitter facts that the number of people infected with HIV has risen from 1.8 million people to 2.3 million today. Although no specific statistics are available on the HIV prevalence rates specifically in Buhweju, the figures could be shocking. Western region where Buhweju District is located was indicated in the report as one of the major regions where HIV infection rates had remain high, with the youth getting more infection rates that it was before.


With High illiteracy rates in Buhweju, most people continue to live without knowing their HIV status and HIV being treated with a lot of stigma. More than 60% of those tested positive continue to deny their HIV status results and are living without any treatment or disclosure.


TUMU Foundation is currently using sports in its fight against HIV and is empowering youth to engage in meaningful activities that improve their quality of life. A football league, dabbed TUMU football league is being organized annually where over 20,000 youth and other community members are targeted through sensitization messages, offering of HIV services during the football matches and creating an army of community mobilizes that move village to village mobilizing and sensitizing youth and other community members on issues of HIV&AIDS.

COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE FINANCING​​

​

​​

The Community Healthcare Project is an innovative community healthcare initiative, one of its kind, in Buhweju District. The Project is aimed at increasing access to affordable quality healthcare for low income people within Buhweju. The Project focuses on reducing out of pocket, health related expenses for pregnant women through risk pooling. Organized groups of at least 20 households save some little money as a group which is paid to a healthcare provider on a quarterly basis inform of premiums. It is this premium that is used to treat the sick member. Through this arrangement, individuals offset expenses of those who fall sick, a concept we call risk sharing. A group is made up of a mixture of people and not all fall sick at the same time. The project is therefore based in this idea that people fall sick and might increasingly need services at the time when they are not prepared financially. The Foundation is partnering with Tumu Hospital and its annexes around the district in providing healthcare services to these organised groups. Capacity building inform of economic empowerment is also being done for the groups to enable them generate some income so as to sustain the project.   ​

INCREASING ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTHCARE SERVICES BY PEOPLE LIVING IN REMOTE AREAS​​

TUMU Foundation in partnership with Tumu Hospital is increasing access to quality health care services by people living in remote and hard to reach areas of Bihanga, Malinde and Bitsya Sub-Counties of Buhweju District.

​

Community mobile clinics are being organized and conducted in collaboration with local health workers and community health volunteers in these sub-counties. During these mobile clinics, people are assessed and provided with adequate healthcare services, health education and those in need of specialized care are referred to other hospitals for further management. Home Based Care services are also organized especially for those who are terminally ill, persons living with HIV&AIDS, and Cancer patients. During these community outreaches, we ensure full participation of local and religious leaders for purposes of sustainability of our Programme.

IMPROVING MATERNAL HEALTH CARE

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​In most developing countries, Maternal mortality has become nothing short of an epidemic. World over, hundreds of thousands of women die from complications during pregnancy or childbirth each year; that’s one woman dying nearly every minute of each day-and millions more left with life-altering disabilities. Uganda’s Maternal Mortality Ratio had remained high for 15 years, with no significant decline.

Currently, very few people in and around Buhweju attend at the recommended 2 antenatal visits with more than 80% delivering from home without the presence of any skilled personnel.  In most cases, most of these women end-up getting serious complications during the delivery process and that’s when they are transported to hospitals and health centers when its already late for many. Due to long distances involved, prolonged obstructed labor and due to health center related delays, majority never make it to the hospital or end up with lifelong complications on the side of the mother or child.

​

The project is aimed at combating national and local efforts towards saving lives of mothers and children who die or develop lifelong complications during delivery as a result of preventable causes. A three months community awareness campaign has been launched targeting over 15,000 people in and around Buhweju. The campaign, yet to be launched by the First lady and Minister for Karamoja Affairs. Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, focuses on encouraging women to present early for antenatal care and attend the recommendable 4 antenatal visits. The campaign dubbed 'Save a Mother, Save a Child', promotes delivery by health centers to avoid any complications during delivery. It targets majorly all women and girls of child bearing age (14 years and above)

FOOD AND NUTRITION

​Food and Nutrition Project is aimed at improving the nutritional status which is generally poor especially among children under the age of five. The Project targets to benefit at least 200 severally malnourished children from needy households within Buhweju District.  ​​​

BUILDING LOCAL CAPACITIES FOR IMPROVED HEALTH CARE

​

​
TUMU Foundation through Tumu Medical Institute is building local capacities and bridging the gap between lack of adequate health professionals in the District. The Medical Institute is currently offering a 2 and ½ years’ Courses in: Enrolled Nursing and Enrolled Midwifery. On completion, these students are expected to go back and serve their communities. Partnership has been formalized with Buhweju District Local government to provide training placement opportunities to these students once they have completed their courses. The Foundation is also applying for funding to offer scholarships to students from needy families within the district to go for these courses.

​

The foundation is working with a team of dedicated community health volunteers at the grassroots level to support community health education, follow-up and offering of referral services especially for the emergency referral service where critically ill patients are immediately transported to hospitals using a stand-by ambulance at Tumu Hospital

CURRENT PROJECTS

bottom of page