Our clinic at Lira is now working with a number of schools in the region to help provide necessary primary health care, at either very low cost or free of charge.
Montessori Nursery School Lira
Est. 1999
Has 400 children attending daily from 8.00 until 16.00.
The children are aged between 2 1/2 and four years. They have 280 boys and 120 girls.
They have three classes between two and a half and three years, two classes between three and four years and two between four and six.
The acting head teacher Juliet Ogwang, who is in charge of the referrals cites the main health problems of the children as being malaria, coughing and vomiting and minor accidents.
She predicts that during the rainy season they will need to send 20 children /week, and during the dry season that they will need to send around 10 children/ week.
Lira Primary School
Est. 1951
Has 1728 students. It is the largest primary school in Northern Uganda. The school takes children from Primary One to Primary Seven.
The children are aged between 6 and 12 or 13 years. There are 927 girls and 801 boys. The school is government funded, but the parents are asked to contribute 10,000 /= per term (equivalent of about GBP 3) to pay for things like utilities, water, support staff etc. They also pay for the exams.
The main health problem, as identified by Yapi Sam Bob, the acting headmaster and one of our referees, was dehydration caused by malaria. Treating this with an IV can cost up to 40,000/= (around 12 GBP) which is prohibitive for most of their parents. At our Lira clinic we are providing treatment for just 2000/=.
Bob identified the most common diseases as malaria, typhoid, cough, skin infections and diarrhoea. Skin infections are especially common in the younger grades.
This school anticipates sending around 20 children/ week.
