• Presentation titles; 2007 Society for Applied Anthropology International Conference at Univ. of Memphis.  Presentations include proposals for future MHIRT research as well as results of some 2007 and 2006 MHIRT projects.

• The two MHIRT Uganda sites for 2008 are:
• Gulu (in north central Uganda).  The Gulu project is Art Therapy
• Mbarara (in Southwest Uganda).  The Mbarara project is an epidemiological survey with the Mbarara University of Science and Technology.

• Art Therapy in Northern Uganda ppt (2007 project report by Jenifer Meeks, Benjamin Lyon, Teri Mason, Mohamed Kanu & Julia Hanebrink)
• Feasible Psychosocial Intervention?  Art Therapy in Northern Uganda.  2007 MHIRT Research.  Abstract for Society for Applied Anthropology Int’l conference.

• Mental Health Issues in Northern Uganda ppt (2006 project report by Manny Patel, Ruth Valverde-Salas, and Mechelle Elosiebo)
• Implementing Malaria Prevention Through Education in Uganda Poster by Crystal Ton and Julia Hanebrink 2006 MHIRT.  Presented at Global Health Education Int’l conference, Dominican Republic.
• Reports from Manny Patel working in Hope North Village near Kampala, Uganda  Report #1  Report #2  (July 2005 from Caduceus).

• "Bowling for Uganda"  Beta Beta Beta Fundraiser to benefit  Hope North, Nov. 2006
• "Bowling for Uganda"  2005

• Health Needs Assessment (2006 and earlier)
• Malaria Prevention Education (2006 and earlier)
• Ishaka photos

More MHIRT Projects, information on how to apply, etc.

Kampala photos

Kisiizi Links

Doing qualitative research in Uganda is a great deal of fun. If you have never been to Africa before, Uganda is the perfect place to start, since the country is gorgeous, the people are friendly, the infrastructure is not bad, and it is reasonably secure.  As the Uganda Site Director I have mentored qualitative research in Uganda for three years, and this will be our fourth set of projects. We anticipate having two students in each site, and most of the time will be spent at your sites collecting and coding data, and we anticipate having an additional faculty mentor this year as well, Teri Mason, who teaches Anthropology at Christian Brothers University.

Because Uganda is still a developing country, there will be some restrictions regarding where you may go as a student, and where you may not go and how you are allowed to get from place to place.  The good news is that the roads have become a lot safer because of the implementation of speed limits and seat belt requirements, even in PSVs (public service vehicles). This is good news, as it may mean that students will be able to travel from point to point more easily and more cheaply. We will attempt to do most of our overland data collection travel by public means this year.

Travel to the northern and eastern side of the Nile River is prohibited until further notice, and travel to Murchison Falls National Park may not be possible – the relative safety of the park will be ascertained when we are there through a variety of sources. Travel to other East African countries except in transit to and from the United States is also prohibited because of visa and safety issues. 

Finally, qualitative research in Uganda has its “perks” – such as a cultural understanding workshop with the Ndere Troupe (an internationally touring drum and dance performance group), the possibility of home stays, and a mid-summer conference at Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will see elephants, hippos, lions, lots of birds, other four-legged creatures and the occasional leopard.
 

The purpose of this project is to provide Hope North – Uganda with vital information regarding health needs and demand in the immediate vicinity of the project site (description of Hope North – Uganda to follow).  Establishing an out-patient clinic is high on the list of Hope North priorities because access to quality health care and community education is extremely limited in this region, an area that has been heavily populated by a large number of displaced Acholi and Lango from the northern side of the Nile.  The first step towards this goal is to assess the health care needs and demands so they may be prioritized and addressed. The goal is to develop a viable short-term and long-term plan for improving the health care facilities in the area.

This project will take place in the area of Bweyale and will be based at the Hope North – Uganda Project site, located off the Gulu Road in Masindi District, south-west of the Nile River (see map). Partnering with Hope North – Uganda, this research will conduct a thorough needs assessment of the villages and towns within 25 km of the Hope North Project site. Hope North – Uganda is a start-up NGO that currently provides settlements and homesteads (including clean water, sanitary facilities and garden space) for displaced Acholi and scholarships for 36 orphaned Acholi children.  Located on a 150 acre tract of land near Bweyale Town and a project that serves all who are in need regardless of tribal or religious affiliation, Hope North is in the process of building a school and dormitory space that will be open to all children, and plans are being developed to add to the homesteads, establish an out-patient clinic, develop cash-crop farming, create a cultural and tourist site for bird-watching near the river, and establish a technical training center. 

Students may be housed in Bweyale town or the nearest town with reasonably reliable electricity, unless solar electricity is installed at the project site in the meantime.  Living conditions will be basic in this part of Uganda. Hotels (called “guest houses” since “hotels” generally refers to a place to eat a meal in rural East Africa) are basic but clean and comfortable, and efforts will be made to locate a guest house with indoor plumbing (no promises). Restaurants will serve only locally produced and locally enjoyed dishes, probably including grilled chicken and goat, beans and rice, chapatti, ground-nut (peanut) sauce, greens, bread, sodas, tea and coffee (Nescafe instant).

If electricity for computers is available at the Hope North Project Site, housing may be in a traditional Acholi round house made of locally-produced brick, for at least part of the research period. Sanitary facilities will be a long-drop pit latrine (squat latrine) and a traditional outdoor washing stall with curtains and walls for privacy. Cooking will be done on wood fires or charcoal stoves. Beds will be provided with insecticide-treated bednets and cooking can be arranged by hiring a Hope North resident to assist or prepare meals (otherwise, the tasks involved in cooking meals take a very long time). Laundry can be done on a cash-payment basis by Hope North Project residents.

This project will take place in Ishaka town and will be based at Ishaka Adventist Hospital. This is a follow-up project to the malaria prevention perceptions study we conducted in 2003, and will pilot test a community education tool developed by two of the student researchers (with assistance from 2003 faculty mentors) that conducted the original research in 2003.  These students created a project at the Ishaka site and in partnership with the Ishaka Hospital Health Plan whereby community members can purchase insecticide treated bednets (ITNs) on a lay-away basis.  Over 150 ITNs have been sold through this project.  The students have also been working to develop an appropriate educational tool to address the gaps discovered in community awareness – health plan members’ concerns about care of ITNs, safety of chemical exposure, and need to protect pregnant women and children.

Ishaka town is the last major trading center on the road that leads to Kasese and Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is a peri-rural area dotted with matoke trees, tea fields and rolling hills. Students will most likely be housed at the Ishaka Hospital Guest House on the hospital grounds, situated at the top of a hill overlooking the surrounding countryside. It has electricity (most of the time), four bedrooms, a kitchen and a shared bath with cold water shower. Water can be heated for warm baths or bucket showers.  Linens are provided, and students can hire a part-time cleaning, laundry and cooking person.  Alternative living arrangements can be organized at a local overnight guest house, a basic hotel with cold running water and full-service restaurant that offers food, drink and TV long into the wee hours of the morning and is a “happening” place, especially when there is a World Cup game to watch.  Food in Ishaka will be local faire: chicken, goat, matoke, rice, chapatti, tea, coffee and so forth.

2003:  We had a team of three mentors for 2003 in Uganda.  The principal mentor and site manager is Dr. Janet McCord.  Dr. McCord was the MIRT Uganda Mentor for 2002, and previously lived in Uganda (with her husband and young daughter, now 8 years old) from 1995-2000.  She has great familiarity with the country, climate and people there.  New to MIRT for 2003 were Christina Blanchard-Horan and Teri Mason.  Ms. Blanchard-Horan is completing work on her degree in medical anthropology and health care quality issues.  Ms. Mason teaches anthropology at Christian Brothers University, and has a particular interest in rural finance programs and health outcomes.   Most of the 2003 Uganda research was conducted in Kisiizi and Ishaka, both in South-Western Uganda.  Picture green rolling hills, the foothills of the Ruwenzori Mountains.  Accommodation were basic, but clean.  Food included choice of fish, chicken, beef and goat, rice, matooke, and chapati.  Basic, but nourishing and delicious.

• The Microcare Study
• The Bed Net Study

• View a slide show from Dr. McCord (with photos from Summer 2002)

• The "Easy Access to Bed Nets"  organization was founded by three MHIRT students [Teshie Dotson (CBU), Crystal Ton (Univ. Memphis) and Brett Wainger (CBU, ’03)] during their summer 2003 research trip to Uganda.  They are seeking additional funding to establish the organization as a nonprofit.
• More information about the 15 Nov. 2003 Fundraiser: Easy Access to Bednets for Malaria Prevention in Uganda (MSWord)
• More information about the Bednets project and its funding (MSWord). 

• More MHIRT Projects, information on how to apply, etc.

• Ishaka photos
• Kampala photos
• Kisiizi Links

• Donna Winters 2003 research "Malaria Prevention Strategy" Dr. Janet McCord, Uganda, Africa
• Kim Rivers, Jennifer Sykes, and Tanchica Terry 2003 research "A Mixed Methods Study of Health Utilization and Health Outcomes Among Ugandans Participating in Alternative Healthcare Financing" and "A Preliminary Report Malaria prevention strategies in rural Uganda:  A pilot study of community perceptions"

 

• Kisiizi Hospital (from St. George's Church, Stamford UK)
• Kisiizi Photo Gallery (from St. George's Church, Stamford UK)
• More on Kisiizi Hospital  (from Africa Inland Mission International)
• More info on Kisiizi Hospital (from Friends of Kisiizi Hospital)
• Visiting Kisiizi  (Answers questions such as "How hot is it?" and "What should I bring?")

This study aims to determine whether self-employed workers in rural and urban Uganda participating in health care financing programs have better perceived and actual health outcomes compared to those without micro-insurance.  The work will be done primarily in Kisiizi, located in South-Western Uganda.

Living  quarters will be very basic but clean.  Cell-phone service will most likely be available.

Wish List of Requested skills of student applicants:

1. Some interview experience either telephone or in person (preferable). 
2. Analytic or statistical coursework completed (ideal but not required)
3. Database development experience or interest (helpful but not required)
4. Interest in the study of culture and health (extremely helpful)
5. Interest in healthcare and healthcare quality issues (extremely helpful)
6. Eagerness to learn new things (required)
7. Willingness to work hard on the project, including evenings (required)

• 2002: An Operative Ethic of Health Care Distribution in Uganda: A Qualitative Study (Dr. Janet McCord) Research site: Kampala and Ishaka, Uganda.  [Kampala (the capital city) site not available for 2004]

This project will be conducted in Kisiizi and Ishaka.  We will investigate malaria bednet education of health care financing clients and seek to determine the overall effectiveness of this education.  This will be done to find out if and how malaria bednet education, use of bednets, and disease prevention strategies may help reduce health care costs.  This will be a comparative study – those who use bednets (and/or other malaria prevention strategies) and those who do not.

The study will be conducted almost exclusively in rural South-Western Uganda, in Kisiizi (with Microcare) and Ishaka (with Ishaka Hospital Health Plan).

Students need not be pre-med students, or philosophy majors, or any specific major.  Students do need to be interested and committed to learning new things and willing to work hard and seriously on the project.  Keep in mind – this is not a vacation but serious research, and all students are expected to approach the project with a serious attitude.  This means that students will be expected to complete all pre-departure activities, complete assigned tasks while in country, and complete all follow-up assignments.

Wish List of Requested skills of student applicants:

1. Quantitative or qualitative research methods training (recommended but not required)
2. Interest in investigating disease prevention education strategies
3. Comfortable talking to people
4. Experience conducting interviews (desired but not required)
5. Interest in strategizing about cultural appropriate patient education
6. Eagerness to learn new things (required)
7. Willingness to work hard on the project, including evenings (required)

Keep in mind: this is not vacation.  You will work hard on the project – sometimes you will work evenings and weekends.  The project comes first.  But there will be a short period of time when you will be able to see some of the sights of Western Uganda.  (Note: recreational activities are not paid for by the grant and must be paid for by the students themselves.)

Some opportunities (some need to be planned ahead) include:

• Gorilla tracking at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.   Also see this site on Bwindi Parks.  (Gorilla tracking must be planned months in advance).
• Birding at Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Safari at Queen Elizabeth National Park   More about Queen Elizabeth National Park  This might include a drive through the southern end of the park and an overnight in Ishasha, the home of the famous tree-climbing lions. Might also include chimpanzee tracking.
• A relaxing weekend at Lake Bunyonyi to kick back, maybe go canoeing and eat crayfish
• Uganda Map