From clinics to communities: bridging health access in rural East Africa.
This rotation is a rare opportunity to join a broad-based non-governmental (NGO) health system in rural East Africa. Blending clinical care, public health, and addressing social determinants of health, this rotation allows you to deep dive into community-based realities of Sub-Saharan Africa with locally-led initiatives to combat health disparities, the high burden of disease, and limited healthcare access.
You land in Kigali, Rwanda where you are welcomed by your local team. A night of rest is followed by a tour of the Rwandan Genocide Museum and a drive to the Rwandan-Ugandan border where the border health clinic treats STIs, conducts HIV testing, prevention strategies, PrEP and community health education. Travel onward to Kabale, in the beautiful hilly region of Southwest Uganda where you join the KIHEFO team.
Your rotation brings you close to a variety of initiatives including thousands of patients receiving HIV treatment in collaboration with USAID PEPFAR, health outreach to displaced indigenous (Batwa) communities, addressing the role of educational access and food security in health status, and rural mobile health outreach. You will meet with traditional healers and explore the bidirectional referral network between naturopathic providers and biomedical physicians. For those interested in spiritual care, this rotation offers an opportunity to explore the role of chaplaincy and spiritual care approaches.
Blending clinical care, public health, and addressing social determinants of health, this rotation allows you to deep dive into community-based realities of Sub-Saharan Africa with locally-led initiatives to combat health disparities, the high burden of disease, and limited healthcare access.
Start your application today!
To apply, select “Global Health in Uganda (Kabale).” After you fill out the application forms and receive confirmation of acceptance from the CFHI team, please indicate your preferred elective focus under the placement preferences section in your dashboard.