Bulungi Bwansi is an age old tradition, in which everyone is involved in cleaning water sources, road repairs, digging trenches along the roads and villages, filling potholes in the village roads, cleaning villages, and cleaning markets. Everyone cleans their surrounding areas to avoid snakes, other crawling reptiles, dangerous insects, breeding grounds for mosquitoes, etc.

In the same vein, LCHP, together with Lweza Cell B LC1, mobilise the community, on a bi-weekly basis, to rid the village of garbage because we believe a healthy environment begins with a clean environment.

This is an annual event where we invite various service providers to carry out mainly screening members of the community for various health conditions - e.g blood pressure, diabetes, cancers, ENT conditions, dental, ears, eyes, HIV, etc.  Screening services are offered at no cost to the community.

The main objective of the camps is to provide mainly preventive and curative healthcare services to the community members who would otherwise have limited access to healthcare services. The services include medical check-ups, immunizations, basic lab tests, health education, and limited treatment for common illnesses such as fever, cough.

Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU), Centre for Health, Human Rights & Development (CEHURD), Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), Uganda Heart Institute (UHI), Mengo Hospital Eye Clinic, Mulago Dental School, USAID Beat TB, Entebbe Health & Fitness Club, Norvik Hospital, etc. have been invaluable partners in the success of these camps.

Expert Talks: 

We invite authorities or specialists in a various health related fields to share their knowledge, experience, and insights with the community. The goal is to provide valuable information and insights that can help the community gain a deep understanding of the subject and learn from the expert's experiences. Examples include Substance Abuse, Safe Motherhood, STDs, Health Legal issues, Nutrition, etc. 

Sometimes, the "experts" are individuals who have been through some bad situation and recovered e.g. rehabilitated substance users. 

Training: 

Regular health training sessions on specific health topics in the community help disseminate knowledge, promote awareness and improve behaviors towards preventative health measures and management of illnesses, leading to a healthier and more resilient community overall.

Workshops:

Conducting health workshops in the community is an effective way to educate and engage residents in healthy behaviors and disease prevention. These workshops provide valuable information and resources, empowering individuals to take control of their health and improve their quality of life. 

Workshops are made more interactive to allow for group participation, discussion, and exploration of specific health topics. They are a valuable tool for promoting community engagement, building social connections, sharing experiences and fostering a sense of shared responsibility for health and wellness.

Home Visits is a healthcare service where Lweza Community Health Program (LCHP) visits a patient at their home to provide medical care. These visits are typically designed to address the health needs of patients who are unable to travel to a healthcare facility due to physical limitations, lack of transportation, disability or other reasons.

During the visits, LCHP conducts a physical exam, monitor vital signs, provide education on disease management, medication adherence, and lifestyle modifications to help patients better manage their health.

Home visits are often to elderly patients, individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities, and those who have recently been discharged from the hospital. This type of healthcare service is an effective way to ensure that patients receive and stick to timely and appropriate care in the comfort of their own homes.

Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU) selected Lweza Community Health Program (LCHP) as partners in promoting the concept of Compassionate Communities. 

Compassionate Communities aims to promote the well-being of individuals through the collective efforts of community members. It focuses on enhancing the quality of life, particularly for those facing life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses, and extends to support for the elderly, caregivers, and those experiencing grief or loss. It emphasizes the importance of social support networks, recognizing that compassionate care should not solely be the responsibility of healthcare professionals but should be integrated into the fabric of everyday community life.

Compassion is a deep awareness of and sympathy for others’ suffering, followed by a desire to ease that suffering. It involves empathy i.e. the ability to understand and share the feelings of others and a commitment to taking action to help or support those in need. It goes beyond mere pity and involves a proactive effort to address the challenges.  Compassionate care is therefore about seeing, feeling and acting.

Together with  SCCoP Club of Taibah International School (TIS), we have carried out various compassionate care activities in the community e.g.  Senior Citizens Day Out, Visiting homes, etc.  SCCoP (Schools Compassionate Communities' Program) is a program initiated by PCAU to promote the concept of Compassionate Communities among young people. TIS was the first point of call and we intend to promote the concept in other schools.

More at https://pcauganda.org/creating-a-compassionate-community-in-uganda/ 

The health care system can be confusing, even intimidating to some people, keeping them away from seeking medical help. LCHP has formed partnerships and we endeavour to provide referral services to connect our community members with healthcare providers or social services when needed and wherever possible.

Referrals enable members receive necessary screenings, immunizations, preventive care, health education, early detection and preventive measures, to improve health outcomes and reduce the burden of chronic diseases.

Referrals enhance healthcare access, promote timely and preventive care, establish a continuum of care, provide tailored support, foster collaboration, and advocate for better health outcomes. By connecting individuals to appropriate healthcare services, we hope to contribute to the overall well-being and health equity of our community.