HANNAH SCOOPS SCHOLARSHIP AT AFRICAN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY SOUTH AFRICA

About 70000 Ugandans lose their lives to malaria each year. The reporting rate of malaria every week is about 68% and the deaths each week is about 10 people. These statistics are still quite high, and this proves that the health system still needs support in this area. This is one of the reasons why Hannah is passionate about pursuing a career in the health sector.

'“As a child, I was sickly and visited the hospital often. I would see the tireless effort, care, and attention that the health workers offered to me and other sick people in that facility. It was remarkable how they would restore people to good health and everyday people would leave with significant improvement regardless of age, race, and gender. Due to the few numbers of medics and many patients, some people wouldn’t be able to access this amazing service easily and this got me thinking to join the medical field.

My passion to help increased as I realised that the professionals were not able to treat all the patients despite their hard work and amazing effort. I want to join the field to improve the health care and services we receive in different health centres. In Uganda and some African countries people fly to India, Germany, and other countries to seek health services and medicines. I believe people deserve to get the same services without inconvenience and ridiculously high medical bills. Some people cannot afford to fly out to a foreign country and access health services, and this results in their death.

I want to participate in solving some common health problems that we are battling together. In Uganda, I want to help in the fight against Malaria which has been a deadly disease that has made us lose many loved ones for a long time. Uganda has the highest number of malaria cases in east and central Africa and third highest cases in the world.

Currently, I encourage people to sleep under treated mosquito nets and to clear bushes around their residences as my contribution in the malaria fight.

I look towards helping the health sector in my country, Africa, and the world at large to be better. I will do this through working with different people in and out of the medical field to find and implement different solutions to the health problems we face as humanity.”

Hannah has now taken steps to reaching her dream. Recently Hannah was supported by the Ushindi team and she scooped a scholarship at the African Leadership Academy in South Africa to further her education.