Voices of Refugee Health, Part 2: Gibson Mandela, Village Health Team member

For more stories of hope, healthcare, and refugee resilience, read the entire special report: ‘On Uganda’s edge, a coordinated effort to improve health for refugee families.’ 

In Uganda’s Bidibidi refugee settlement, Village Health Team (VHTs) members like Gibson Mandela are the first line of defense against malaria and other diseases.  A refugee from South Sudan, Mr. Mandela is one of 280,000 VHTs nationwide, selected by their communities to conduct door-to-door health education, testing, and treatment.

“I love to work for the community because when you see community members go through these challenges, and it’s happening all around you – the situation is not good. So that inspired me to promote community health by sensitizing them on preventive measures,” Mr. Mandela said. “I love to support them on how to prevent malaria by encouraging them to use their mosquito nets, do slashing [of bushes and shrubs] around the homes and then covering up stagnant water. … For the IRS [campaigns], we did a lot of community education to change some negative mindsets. By the second year, everyone was willing to participate because they understood the importance of it.”

Through the Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) program, Mr. Mandela was trained to diagnose and treat malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea in children under five. By proactively addressing malaria cases in the community, VHTs are not just saving lives – they are also reducing the burden on local health facilities, where malaria has long been the leading cause of outpatient visits.

They also serve as a vital bridge between health facility staff and the communities, according to Ojjo Zubeir, Yumbe’s District Health Officer. “We support VHTs to report any health event in the community, including diseases that are prone to epidemics,” Mr. Zubeir said. “We’ve trained them to do surveillance, case monitoring, of malaria and other diseases, and this has really built our capacity for disease detection.”

While the responsibilities of a VHT may feel like a full-time job, they are technically volunteers. The VHTs in Bidibidi receive a modest monthly stipend of 50,000 Ugandan Shillings, approximately $15.

“We would benefit from more resources – like for example, when people get sick at night and we have to make home visits in the dark. Some visibility equipment would really help. Also, when we have meetings with other villages, health facilities, we have to walk far distances. Equipment like boots, umbrellas, these could help us a lot.”

This report is part of a special initiative, Healthy Start for Refugee Children, that aims to deliver essential health services to one million refugee and displaced children living in Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. We have launched this initiative in partnership with the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).