After suspending its operations in 2013, HI relaunched in Uganda in the summer of 2017 to support the large numbers of refugees entering the country, most of whom had fled the conflict in South Sudan. HI works particularly for refugees with specific needs (people with disabilities, elderly people, single mothers with children, unaccompanied children, etc.) and facilitates their access to services in the refugee settlements.
HI offers vulnerable refugees psychosocial support and mental health services – many refugees have witnessed or experienced significant trauma. We also provide physical rehabilitation care to help people with disabilities gain greater independence, education services to ensure schooling access for children with disabilities, and socio-economic empowerment and social protection for some of the most marginalized and vulnerable communities.
In 2019 HI Uganda began an innovative project using telemedicine and 3D printers to create orthoses (splints and braces) for refugees with injuries or disabilities.
Since 2020, HI Uganda has been responding to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda by providing health structural support, mental health support and reducing socio-economic impacts on vulnerable households.
