Some of the trustees and friends of REACH Bwindi have significant birthdays this year. Thank you very much for donating to celebrate our birthdays!

Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH) is also celebrating a significant birthday this year! The hospital will be 20 years old, having begun as a clinic under a tree in 2003. They have achieved a huge amount over that time, as a result of dedicated care and service.

Child mortality (deaths by the 5th birthday) in the area was 163/1000 live births when the clinic began. It has fallen year on year and was just 22/1000 in 2022 (half of the national average). Malnutrition and malaria admissions have both reduced by 90%. These impressive achievements have been possible because BCH has a community focus. Daily outreaches by motorbike and on foot bring preventative healthcare messages, mental healthcare, family planning services, immunisations and clean water initiatives to villages in the catchment area.

REACH Bwindi largely support staff salaries at the hospital. Supporting staff salaries prevents loss of skill and experience: essential in this very remote, rural area. The pull of the city can be strong, often promising higher salaries and proximity to family. The challenge of staff retention has been even greater since the COVID-19 pandemic, when streams of hospital funding were devastated. This income, unfortunately, has not yet recovered. Retaining trusted staff enables them to stay part of the local community and to offer that high-quality care for which BCH is known.

Thank you for helping us celebrate the work of BCH over the past 20 years!