Uganda Expat Health Insurance
The Republic of Uganda, commonly referred to as Uganda, is located in East Africa. Uganda was called the “Pearl of Africa” by Winston Churchill. Uganda is a land locked country which shares its borders with Kenya, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania. The country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1962 and remains a Commonwealth country. The capital city is Kampala. The official languages are English and Swahili, however approximately 40 other languages are spoken, including Ugandan English. The population is estimated to be approximately 34.6 million people, the majority of which are very young with a median age of 15.1 years old.
Uganda is home to many large lakes and rivers including Lake Victoria which is the largest tropical lake in the world, and the largest lake in Africa. The climate in Uganda is tropical and differs across the country. Southern Uganda is wetter than the North and has rainfall spread throughout the year. The southwest near the border with Congo has heavy rain all year round, while the north-eastern Karamoja region is dry and prone to droughts. The north near the border with Sudan is drier from November to February than the remainder of the year. At the city of Entebbe, right by Lake Victoria, rain falls from March to June and November to December. The hottest months in the country are from December to February.
Uganda is a stunning country to visit. It is home to the highest mountain range in Africa, the Mountains of the Moon, and the famous river Nile. Uganda offers tourists some of the best white water rafting in the world and is home to the rare mountain gorilla. It contains many beautiful national parks. The people are friendly and offer great hospitality.
Over the years conflict in Uganda has killed millions of people, a large number were at the hand of dictator Idi Amin in the 1970’s who carried out mass killings to maintain his control. Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world thanks to poor economic policies and instability.
The country has a large number of natural resources include crude oil and natural gas which are mainly untapped. The agriculture sector is the largest industry in Uganda, employing over 80 percent of the Ugandan work force; coffee is the country’s main export. Other agricultural products produced include tea, cotton, tobacco, tapioca, potatoes, corn, millet, flowers, beef and goat meats, milk and poultry. The Government and international agencies have been helping the country improve following the reign of Idi Amin.
Human rights have been improving however still remains a problem. Security organisations still use torture, physical attacks on political freedom and kidnappings of children to be used as killing soldiers or wives still occur. Life expectancy in Uganda is 53.24 years at birth. The fertility rate is high with an average of 6.69 babies born per woman.
Uganda Health Care and Insurance
In 2001 Uganda eliminated user fees at state health facilities. This has resulted in an 80 percent increase in visits, over half of which were from the poorest 20 percent of Uganda’s population. In 2009 the Government attempted to introduce a national health insurance scheme for employees but it failed. Currently less than 1 percent of the population has a Uganda health insurance policy.
Medical facilities in Uganda are extremely poor. Services, such as emergency medical care, are limited. The medical facilities in the country are not equipped to handle most emergencies, especially conditions which may require surgery. The medical facilities outside of the capital city Kampala are very scarce and only basic facilities are available. Equipment, medications and blood are also in short supply throughout Uganda. Travellers to Uganda requiring emergency treatment or surgery may need to be evacuated to a nearby country with better medical facilities. As the cost of emergency medical evacuation can be very expensive, travellers should ensure that they have medical insurance that will cover the cost of such an evacuation. Visitors should bring sufficient quantities of prescription medications with them to Uganda as they may not be able to access supplies if needed.
The health care system in Uganda is divided into three tiers run by the Ministry of Health. The first is the community tier which is run by the community and medical personnel with minimal levels of training. The second tier is run at sub-country level serving approximately 20,000 people by providing cures, preventative care, laboratory and outreach services. The third tier is the hospitals.
The country has had great success reducing the number of people living with HIV/Aids. In the 1980’s more than 30 percent of the population had HIV. This number fell to 6.5 percent by the end of 2009 following a national campaign to reduce the number of cases.
If you require medical care while travelling in Uganda, the following medical facilities in Kampala are recommended, Case Medical Centre (telephone: 256 0414 250362), International Hospital Kampala (telephone: 256 41 340531), Nakasero Hospital Limited and the Surgery (telephone: 256 41 256003).
Uganda Travel Advice
Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda and many gays and lesbians are discriminated against and harassed, particularly by the media who have published lists, photos and contact details of allegedly gay men. One person was murdered in 2011 following the publishing of his name on a list and many others are missing, presumably murdered. Parliament are considering passing an Anti Homosexuality Bill in Uganda which would introduce the death penalty for people who engages in same sex acts and who have had previous convictions of same-sex relations, or who are HIV positive. It would also extend to Ugandans living in other countries and allow the Ugandan Government to extradite them back for punishment. The Bill has support in Uganda but has been condemned by foreign human rights organisations.
Travellers to Uganda are at risk of contracting hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid fever, malaria, the plague, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), schistosomiasis, polio, meningitis and rabies. Visitors should ensure that they are vaccinated against these diseases and keep their childhood vaccinations up to date.
Travellers should take anti malarial tablets before and after visiting Uganda and take precautions to prevent themselves being bitten by insects. Due to a polio outbreak, children under the age of five who are entering Uganda from certain countries may be required to have an oral polio vaccination upon entry into Uganda if they have not already been vaccinated. Tuberculosis is also of concern in Uganda.
Yellow fever outbreaks occurred in Uganda in December 2010. Cases are still being reported in the districts of Abim, Agago and Kitgum. Travellers should avoid visiting these areas or ensure that they have a yellow fever vaccination at least 10 days before arriving in Uganda. If visiting between December and June a meningococcal vaccination should be taken as it is during this period that meningitis is epidemic.
Visitors to Uganda should avoid highly dense public gatherings as terrorist activities exist. In July 2010 a rugby club and restaurant in Kampala were bombed killing 76 people. In December 2010 a bus heading for Kampala was bombed in Nairobi. Ongoing conflict continues to occur in the Karamoja area in the north, including banditry and attacks on vehicles. Travellers are advised not to travel to the Karamoja region.
Travellers should only travel on main roads during daylight due to the hazardous driving conditions and the risk of encounters with bandits. Pick pocketing, purse snatching and thefts from hotels and vehicles occur frequently. Theft of personal possessions occurs frequently on public transport and from parked vehicles, even if valuables are stored out of sight. Armed robberies of pedestrians occur even during the day. Women travelling alone are more susceptible to crime and should not use “boda boda” motorcycle taxis due to the traffic and crime risks. Travellers should watch their drinks to ensure that they are not spiked and never accept snacks or beverages from others when on public transport as these may leave you incapacitated and the victim of theft.
The emergency telephone number in Uganda is 999. Uganda is a conservative country. Public displays of affection between persons of the opposite sex will attract disapproval. Affection between persons of the same sex will attract serious disapproval and in some cases violence.
Standard and Chartered Bank have ATMs are located in the capital city Kampala, Jinja, Mbala and Mbarana which can access overseas bank accounts. For credit card advances only the Barclays Bank ATM in Kampala can be used. Travellers may find that they cannot use or exchange US notes printed after the year 2000. Also US $20 and $50 notes will be exchanged at a lower exchange rate than $100 notes.
Uganda Expat Health Insurance
Medical facilities in Uganda are poor and ill equipped to handle emergencies and surgeries. In some cases, lifesaving treatment may not be available locally, in which case a medical evacuation to the nearest quality healthcare facilities would be required out of Uganda. Expat health insurance plans can protect you against the high prices associated with such emergency care. At Global Health Insurance we specialise in international medical insurance and can help you select an insurance provider that meets you needs in Uganda. Expat health insurance we work with can also provide you with a number of optional benefits including maternity, dental and more. Please contact one of our highly trained experts today for a free quotation from some of the world’s leading expat health insurance providers.
Recent Questions / Comments:
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