American health volunteers jet in

By Vision Reporter

U.S. Mission in Uganda has welcomed Uganda’s first-ever Peace Corps Global Health Service Partnership (GHSP) volunteers at Peace Corps headquarters in Kololo.  

The Government of Uganda, represented by Dr. Jacinto Amandua from the Ministry of Health, formally received the volunteers during a ceremony that also included the launch of Peace Corps’ new offices.

The GHSP volunteers arrived in Uganda on July 21, 2013, after a pre-service orientation in Washington, DC.  

The group of 11 American doctors and nurses from across the United States will serve as medical or nursing educators in Uganda, working alongside local health workers to train the next generation of healthcare professionals.
 
GHSP is an exciting continuation of the Peace Corps’ commitment to global health, made possible through innovative partnerships with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the non-profit organization Seed Global Health.  

The program is the Peace Corps’ first formal effort to send U.S. healthcare professionals abroad to strengthen higher education for healthcare providers and address gaps in access to quality healthcare.

In his remarks at the launch, Ambassador DeLisi said, “The GHSP program is a milestone for Peace Corps, marking the first time that Peace Corps has systematically deployed physician and nurse educators as volunteers.  The GHSP program complements our robust partnership with the Government of Uganda, and I am confident that it will advance our common goal of nurturing a healthy and productive society that is capable of driving economic growth and building a new future.”

Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 210,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries.  The Peace Corps program was established in Uganda in 1964 and has placed a total of 1,153 volunteers in Uganda.  Current Peace Corps efforts in Uganda focus on health, community economic development and education.