KEY POINTS
- Winnie Katwesigye delivers healthcare to remote elderly in Uganda.
- Sub-Saharan Africa’s elderly population could hit 163 million by 2050.
- Caregivers like Winnie bridge gaps in fragile health systems.
Winnie Katwesigye lives in the isolated highlands of Uganda and carries more than just a metal container of medical supplies. She gives hope to the elderly, who the healthcare system typically forgets about.
Katwesigye is a nurse with Reach One Touch One Ministries. She takes a Boda Boda motorcycle taxi to get to the villages in the mountains, and then she walks the rest of the way to see her patients.
Winnie Katwesigye gives medical attention to old people who live far away
She monitors blood pressure and glucose levels, puts in catheters, and gives advice on hygiene. She sometimes uses stored rainwater to clean, which is the same water her patients use to stay alive. Winnie says, “My passion is to take care of the elderly who can’t take care of themselves.”
The population of Sub-Saharan Africa is getting older
The World Health Organization says that the number of older people in the area has grown by 50 percent in just 15 years, to 67 million. That population might more than quadruple to 163 million by 2050, putting a lot of stress on weak health and pension systems.
Frontline caregivers fill important gaps in healthcare
Advocates say that caretakers like Katwesigye are the only thing keeping the situation from getting worse, as the state isn’t giving them much help. Her research demonstrates that community-based care may become more important as Africa’s population becomes older.
