In the World With COVID-19: Our Duty to Serve

Written by Joseph Kalanzi, MD, Chief Resident Emergency Medicine at Makerere University College of Health Sciences

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If there is one thing the COVID-19 pandemic has taught me, it is that it is our duty to serve. Being faced with the possibility of contracting this deadly disease while in the line of duty in the Emergency Department was a painful reality I had not braced myself to handle. The usual muscle aches and mild flu from a long shift leave me debating whether I have finally come down with the virus.

In the World With COVID-19: Facing Up With the Reality of the Lockdown: Early-Unpensionable Retirement Part II

Written by Justus Ibrahim, Coordinator of International Programs Engagements at the African Community Center for Social Sustainability (ACCESS), Uganda

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Mixed feelings emanating from lockdown outpourings have indeed swayed me. I feel like a man who has been forced to retire when he is unprepared. Moreover, this retirement is not pensionable. I am professionally redundant and vexed by furloughing that required me to abruptly tread in the path leading to my ancestral home… Lessons of the old saying, East – West, home is best is sharply resounding with its emissary echoes.

In the World With COVID-19: Facing Up With the Reality of the Lockdown: Early-Unpensionable Retirement Part I

Written by Justus Ibrahim, Coordinator of International Programs Engagements at the African Community Center for Social Sustainability (ACCESS), Uganda

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It was late February to mid-March 2020 that the unusual outpoured. I was busy attending to my vocational obligations which include global health program coordination. I am passionate about authenticating my career in global health, yet these vibrations are for the meantime dismayed. Coordinating global health placement for MPH students from Touro University was among several activities I was involved in running at the African Community Center for Social Sustainability (ACCESS) Uganda Nakaseke headquarters. 

In the World With COVID-19: What Africa Can Teach the World About Scarcity, Tragedy, and Uncertainty During the Pandemic: Part II

Written by Robert Kalyesubula, MD, nephrologist and founder of the African Community Center for Social Sustainability (ACCESS), Uganda

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As mortal beings, we must accept that death is an integral part of life. We simply do not have control over everything. As good clinicians, it is important to pour our hearts into every action we undertake and do what we can for our patients despite not knowing the outcome. Offering our best and knowing we did all we could in a given moment can be an invaluable source of reassurance.

In the World With COVID-19: What Africa Can Teach the World About Scarcity, Tragedy, and Uncertainty During the Pandemic: Part I

Written by Robert Kalyesubula, MD, Nephrologist and Founder of the African Community Center for Social Sustainability, Nakaseke, Uganda

In the World With COVID-19: Uganda

Written by Reverend Samuel Luboga, co-founder of the Global Health Program Homestay Model in Uganda

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I am sad to say that our worst fears have come to pass. As of today, April 6, Uganda has 52 confirmed cases of COVID-19 out of approximately 400 tests. It started with a Ugandan returning from Italy via Dubai. In response, the government and religious leaders have embarked on an intense COVID-19 awareness campaign.

An Excellent Learning Day

Written by Ahja Steele, Ross University School of Medicine Class of 2020

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Today was an excellent learning day. We went to the hospital with the immunization clinic as the agenda and heard an amazing lecture by Sister Florence who knows immunizations like the back of her hand. I am glad she went into detail, as my undergraduate medical education program did not cover many specifics about immunizations She gave us a pamphlet detailing the weeks at which a baby should receive vaccines based on Uganda’s standards. From there, we immunized several babies.

We Are In This Together

Written by Irene Sue, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine Class of 2022

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She lies there in a corner of a ward reserved for adult female patients, clad in a beautiful red embroidered cloth, the fabric rising and falling, following the uneven rhythm of her labored breathing. Her concerned daughter looms closely nearby, next to the oxygen tank which has not seemed to help, anxiously awaiting Dr. Lenard Okello's instructions as he begins presenting the patient.

No Such Thing As Equal Opportunity

Written by Kaysha Ribao, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Class of 2020

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The red dust is everywhere: on skin and clothes, in the car and the air. Despite the rain last night, today was particularly dusty as we partook in another Family Planning Outreach event. Although we started in late afternoon instead of our regular morning start time, I began to understand why.

Did You Know That You Had It In You?

Written by Jamidah Nakato, PhD, Assistant Lecturer at Makerere University

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When I was growing up, those around me would often ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” This question sounded strange in the context of a country characterized by limited resources and a high mortality rate. Many of Uganda’s citizens believe in living in the moment and letting tomorrow take care of itself, as they understand the many risks out there and the reality that one can die at any time. Having a vision feels futile.