Uganda: Health Workers Climb Every Mountain Literally To Support Women

(MENAFN- African Press Organization)

Driven by desperation to find food for their families, women in Uganda's Karamoja Region have resorted to climbing up mountains to crush rocks in search of gold to feed their families.

Unfortunately, they also bring their children, who are often struggling with malnutrition.

Food insecurity has been worsening in several districts in Karamoja, driven by recurring climate shocks, the pressures of the lean season, and growing household debt. Livelihood systems have not fully recovered from successive shocks, leaving communities highly vulnerable.

More than 40,000 people are in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Sytem's Phase 4, which means they are barely able to eat a meal a day, and more than 432,000 who are in Phase 3, face significant food shocks. For many families, recovery remains fragile, and gains risk being reversed.​

“I came to the mountains to provide for my family,” said Adong, one such mother.“I know the conditions are harsh for a baby here, but I had to bring him because he is still breastfeeding.”

Fortunately for Adong and other women who work on a quarry on Mount Moroto, health workers have been determined to help them.

Taking action

In Moroto, one in five children under five is acutely malnourished, the highest rate in Karamoja. For many caregivers, the challenge is not just to identify children for treatment, but to ensure they receive it in time.

The nutritional situation is concerning in Karamoja, especially for children and mothers, with an estimated 122,000 children under five that require treatment for acute malnutrition.

Knowing mothers, young men, babies, traders come together at the quarry, a nutrition outreach team from Kakingol Health Centre III made the climb to them instead, in June 2026. With support from UNICEF and the OCHA-managed Uganda Humanitarian Fund, the team worked with a Village Health Team – made of community volunteers - to set up services at the quarry.

During a morning, Adong's child was screened and vaccinated along with more than 60 other children.

For mothers like Adong, travelling long distances to health facilities can mean losing a day's income. Bringing services closer helps families access care without giving up the work they rely on to survive.

Since April, humanitarian partners have reached nearly 700,000 people in Karamoja and refugee-hosting districts with life-saving nutrition and health services.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).
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