File:Uganda Development and Health Associates 25 Days Celebrating Health as a Human Right with Article 25- (15543172415).jpg

Owori Joseph, a VHT (Village Health Team member) on Serinyabi island talked about his community’s inability to access formal healthcare services due to the high costs and unreliable schedule associated with travelling from the island to the mainland (where a health centre is located). He praised the value of the sensitization performances that UDHA provides, confirming that the presentations provide residents with more information and increase their desire for primary healthcare services. He told me that after UDHA visits the island, “we [local counselors] notice a great change” commenting on how attentive and interested his community members are. Unfortunately, without appropriate access to a health facility or basic health services, community members are left wanting. Near the end of our conversation, Joseph told me that his community has “been tortured so much [by lacking access to services].” And added that “whenever there is a chance to lobby, they [the community members] are ready.”