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The IVHQ Uganda medical program encompasses a number of medical fields and both medical professionals and students are welcome to participate.

Our priority health program areas include HIV/AIDS, adolescent sexual reproductive health, and community health (day to day healthcare and mitigation of malaria and other diseases), and building the capacity of rural communities in their efforts/initiatives towards improvement of sanitation and hygiene among others. This project aims to increase quality healthcare access for Ugandan people, decrease the prevalence of endemic diseases and improve village health by providing public health projects and promoting health education.

Volunteers' duties will vary depending largely on your background and skill. Volunteer work on this project includes assisting with the running of a local health clinic where you will be involved with helping treating of malaria, tuberculosis and syphilis which are the most common health ailments in Uganda. For example, if you are a registered nurse, medical doctor, lab technician, and paramedic or have a trained medical skill then you can participate in patient care such as diagnosing, injections, IV starts and lab work. If you are a mid wife then you can work in the maternity ward assisting with prenatal and antenatal care. Finally, if you have an educational background in public health, then you can also participate in this project by helping the staff to record injections or immunizations, helping to dispense medications, beginning a painting or cleaning project, donating supplies, giving educational seminars on nursing skills, nutrition or any other subject that is required in the community you are placed. NB For the medical placement, volunteers need to be training (minimum two years hands on clinical experience) or qualified in a relevant medical field. Therefore, volunteers are required to present a copy of their qualifications and certificates to our program partner on arrival in Uganda.

IVHQ Example Placement: Seguku Health Center - Located in Seguku village in the Wakiso district (approximately 20 minutes from the city center of Kampala), this health unit is the only government medical establishment servicing hundreds of people in the village. Because of this, a lot of the work here is basic first aid, however other work includes outpatient services, maternity services and HIV/AIDS testing and counseling. NB - This is just one of many medical placements IVHQ has in Uganda and is used here as an example. It is not necessarily the one you will be working at.
HIV/AIDS PREVENTION

In Uganda, many areas are severely lacking in sufficient medical services and HIV/Aids awareness. Nearly every family in Ugandan villages and townships has had someone who is sick or has died from HIV. Therefore, education continues as an important weapon in the fight against this prolific disease. IVHQ volunteers work alongside local staff to provide awareness programs at both a community level (to schools, community groups and institutions) and at a personal level (with individual counseling and home visits). The program is divided into four areas and volunteers generally participate on these as they are required and where they have experience/where they feel comfortable – HIV/Aids Education and Awareness, HIV/Aids Counseling Training (TOT), Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) and HIV/Aids Community Outreach. Volunteer duties can include the following; Training members of the community to become peer educators in HIV/AIDS, nutrition and to be counselors; Providing outreach to HIV/Aids sufferers, through counseling, cooking, washing clothes, cleaning and delivering food supplies to those infected or affected by HIV/Aids; Compiling information and assisting in printing HIV/Aids awareness materials such as booklets, handouts and brochures which will be given to the Ugandan communities in which you work to prevent the spread and reduce the stigma of HIV/Aids; Educating secondary schools, churches and other community groups about HIV transmission and prevention. This can also include the provision of free HIV blood testing and counseling to schools and other members of the community.

NB Due to the specialized knowledge and skills required for the program, volunteers must have a working in history in an HIV/Aids environment or strong background knowledge on the subject.