Save Lives with Emergency Care in Uganda

Every day, acutely ill and injured individuals of all ages seek care globally. They reach out to neighbors, the police, or universal emergency numbers for help. Assistance comes from family members, community members with first-aid training, or professional prehospital providers. They may travel to a healthcare facility by foot, motorcycle, taxi, or ambulance. Upon arrival, they may or may not find a designated emergency area and providers capable of delivering the necessary care.

Emergency care systems (ECSs) address a wide range of acute conditions, including injuries, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and complications of pregnancy. When barriers to healthcare access exist, people often seek care only when acutely ill or injured. Emergency care is a crucial component of universal health coverage, ensuring accessible, affordable, high-quality care. For many people worldwide, it serves as the primary point of access to the health system.

In Uganda, Global Emergency Care (GEC) continues to partner with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and private, not-for-profit health facilities. GEC continues to focus on training and providing emergency care services to critically ill patients both in the pre-hospital space and at emergency departments. In the past 11 months, GEC’s clinician-educators have directly treated over 1,500 patients with critical illnesses. This includes many young children and pregnant mothers, and have also trained over 110 medical personnel in emergency care diagnostic skills at rural health facilities in Uganda.