Health[e]Foundation’s East Africa hub has been launched! Last week, our Senior Project Manager Daphne Elberse travelled to Kampala for the launch of the hub. We are pleased to announce that the hub will be led by Henry Tumwijukye as the Regional Representative, and it will be serving the East Africa region.
Over the years, Health[e]Foundation has offered an extensive e-learning curriculum on the topics of maternal and child health; SRHR; community health and disease prevention; mental health; advocacy; and infectious diseases. To enhance sustainability and maintain local support, Health[e]Foundation forms cooperative partnerships with local, well-established organizations and stakeholders in countries where it works. Together with these partners, we adapt our curricula to local settings, using national guidelines and regulations, and taking cultural aspects into account.
Health[e]Foundation has always had a strong presence in East Africa with programs in Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia. From its initiation in 2003, Uganda has been the flagship country for Health[e]Foundation working in close collaboration with local and regional partners such as TASO, IDI, Straight Talk Foundation, and local universities. Several courses have been rolled out in the country such as HIV[e]Education, TB[e]Education, and Health[e]Living for community workers as well as the pilot of the app My Health@Hand. “We are very excited to now make the structure in Uganda more permanent and look forward to all the coming work” says Henry Tumwijukye.
The establishment of the East Africa hub provides a means for alternative approaches to service delivery underpinned by the principles of community involvement and partnership. It will further facilitate this by providing a place where different national and regional partners can more easily access Health[e]Foundation’s expertise locally.
A regional hub can help gather grounded insights and produce regional analysis and research outputs that speak to critical matters for Health[e]Foundation. “Moreover, a regional hub with local presence can identify opportunities locally, act on them, and grow programs and partnerships to regional initiatives” says Lisa Gullbransson, Strategic Director for Health[e]Foundation. In places where Health[e]Foundation already exists, changing focus of intervention can be highly beneficial, as it may not only address local and regional challenges more accurately but also be used as a tool to promote and shape local social, economic, and sustainable development.
