On a sunlit morning in Mabo Island, health worker Grace Nakato dons her life jacket and steps onto a small boat bound for the farthest corners of Lake Wamala.
For residents here, reaching a clinic has long meant a perilous journey across water—but thanks to a new initiative by Amref Health Africa and partners, essential healthcare is finally arriving at their doorstep.
The Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL) project, implemented by Amref Health Africa in Uganda in partnership with Africa CDC, the African Union, and the Ministry of Health—funded by the MasterCard Foundation—has transformed access to healthcare for hard-to-reach communities in Mityana District.
On August 13, 2025, the project provided life jackets to health workers from three health facilities serving island communities in Katiko, Bagwe, and Mabo Islands along Lake Wamala, ensuring their safety as they deliver essential services to the “last mile.”
Vincent Kawooya, the District Health Officer (DHO) for Mityana, described the support as a critical relief for health workers.
“We can only be productive if we are alive and able to improve the livelihood of our communities,” he said. “Accessing these islands has long been a challenge, and Amref has addressed this by providing life jackets to supervisors and vaccination teams to ensure last-mile coverage.”
Ronald Kateregga, a project officer, added that the initiative prioritizes reaching hard-to-access communities, including the elderly and individuals with comorbidities.
“People here often have to travel long distances, including crossing the lake, which makes accessing health facilities extremely difficult,” he explained.
Bringing Services to the Community
Manyi Health Centre III, a sub-county facility serving approximately 25,000 people including residents of Mabo Island, has long faced logistical challenges.
Henry Kakule, the facility in-charge, highlighted issues such as understaffing, limited transport, and lack of safety equipment for health workers.
“Transporting health workers to the islands is costly due to fuel expenses for boat hire,” he said. “Without partners like Amref, we could not reach these communities with integrated services through outreaches.”
The impact of these efforts is evident in the experiences of beneficiaries. Florence Nakato, 32, from Mabo Island, attended her first integrated outreach conducted by SLL.
“I brought my baby for malaria and polio vaccines. The services were fast and easily accessible,” she said.
“I also received an antenatal check-up, a tetanus-diphtheria shot, and an HIV test. Traveling to Manyi Health Centre III would have cost me up to Shs40,000, which is expensive for us.”
Joseph Tibakanya, 62, also benefited from the outreach.
“The Village Health Team members did door-to-door mobilization to inform us of the nurses’ visit. That is how I was able to attend,” he said.
Strong Results and Expanded Coverage
Between January and August 2025, the SLL project supported the Ministry of Health to vaccinate 3,090 young girls and women against HPV, 2,718 men and women against Hepatitis B, and 11,158 individuals against yellow fever—63.8% of the intended target.
Additionally, 10,019 non-pregnant women received the tetanus-diphtheria (Td1) vaccine, while 17,129 pregnant women were vaccinated, reaching 84.3% of the target in Mityana District.
Through Integrated Community Outreaches, the project delivers a comprehensive package of health services, including immunization, antenatal and postnatal care, HIV testing and counselling, and screening for chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
These services reduce the burden on residents who would otherwise need to travel long distances to access care.
The project has also strengthened the capacity of Village Health Teams and health workers, providing logistical support for vaccine and supply transportation, and improving data collection and quality in seven other districts in the Mubende region: Mubende, Kiboga, Kasanda, Nakasongola, Kyankwanzi, Luweero, and Nakaseke.
Partnerships with the Ministry of Health, District Health Offices, and other stakeholders are central to sustaining these outcomes, ensuring that the project’s gains are institutionalized and contribute toward Uganda’s progress toward Universal Health Coverage.