David Kyato: working beyond drug shortages

April 5 – 11 is International Health Worker Week. Every day, dedicated health workers around the world spend long hours—often for very little pay—to keep their communities healthy. For the next week, UVP will be highlighting a few of the health workers we partner with who ensure good health for all Ugandans.

By Kait Maloney, UVP Managing Director

David is a lab technician and nurse who works in a government health clinic in Iganga town. He also works with Uganda Village Project (UVP) to do quarterly community reproductive health outreaches in the rural areas of Iganga. He partners with UVP staff to provide education sessions about family planning and reproductive health. Then, he counsels women and distributes contraceptive methods to those who want them. One of the major challenges he sees as a health worker is the drug stock outs at the health facilities. Because of lack of drugs, people travel to seek treatment but cannot get the services or drugs that they need. Through his work with UVP, David is able to ensure that women have access to the contraceptives that they want.

When asked about his work in the rural communities he said, “I enjoy going out to the communities to offer very urgently needed family planning services to the women because most of them want the services, but can either not afford transport to the health center or their husbands don’t give them permission to go.”