Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy (RCRA)

Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy (RCRA)

RCRA is an Indigenous humanitarian and conservation not for profit organization. We serve the communities of the Albertine region to earn their full potential for sustainable development, high quality human healthcare, and human dignity.

Mission statement

Our Vision

Enabling an informed and healthier society.

Our Mission

Empowering communities for improved livelihoods, healthcare and education appropriate for the 21st Century.

Our Strategic Funding Objectives

SO1: To promote interventions on maternal, neonatal and child health, malaria, family planning, HIV/AIDS awareness, care and support to persons infected and affected.

SO2: To empower communities socially and economically for sustainable development, improved livelihood, increase access to adequate sexual and adolescent reproductive health services and to end child marriages

SO3: To enhance human health and wellbeing through translational/operational research in infectious diseases, and promote prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

SO4: To improve performance and productivity of the health workforce

SO5: To empower poor communities to improve their livelihoods through establishing collaborative, demand-driven and integrated development programmes in sustainable agriculture and natural resource management

Summary of relevant work

As Rwenzori Center for Research and Advocacy (RCRA), we coordinate an integrated community, do case management & treatment for malaria, diarrhoea, and acute respiratory infections such as anemia screening; malaria bed net distribution & promotion; sanitation; and referral to health centers for severe signs, urgent or severe cases and screening of mental health.

We integrate communication technology to remind HIV/AIDS patients to pick up their next batch of drugs. We do this in order to promote treatment adherence and retention as a measure of prevention.

We promote health research and the use of technology such as e-health, mobile technologies and other web-based information systems in disease surveillance and management of disease outbreaks across the region. We support and promote the use of research evidence for policy formulation. In western Uganda, RCRA is working with district health office in strengthening the prevention and management of HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. We are also promoting a harmonized sexual, reproductive, adolescent and child health interventions in the region including mental health.

RCRA’s mobile health platform  generates cost-efficient mobile health implementations tailored to specific health consumer needs. We monitor nutrition, new born care and follow up on discharged patients providing healthcare information, mental wellbeing, weight management and social activity.

Key partners

  • District Health Departments in Rwenzori region.
  • Community Based Organisations
  • Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital Mental Unit
  • Community women groups/ associations
  • Bishop Magambo Counseling Institute
  • Manchester Global Foundation, UK
  • The Partnership of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) 
  • Health Newborn Network
  • Springboard for Health Communications Professionals 

Funders

  • Baylor Uganda
  • Enabling Support Foundation
  • Rwenzori Center for Research Inc
  • Microsoft/ Techsoup Uganda
  • Catholic Relief Services
  • Lake Victoria Basin Commission
  • Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Program

Seeking collaboration with

Experts by experience/service users
Other organizations
Policy makers
Researchers

Details

Approach(es)
Advocacy
Detection and diagnosis
Human rights
Prevention and promotion
Technology
Training, education and capacity building
Treatment, care and rehabilitation
Disorder(s)
Alcohol/drug use disorders
Child behavioural and developmental disorders
Depression/anxiety/stress-related disorders
Self-harm/suicide
Region(s)
Africa
Europe
North America
Population(s)
Adults
Children and adolescents
Communicable diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS, TB)
Disability
Families and carers
Humanitarian and conflict health
Maternal and neonatal health
Non-communicable diseases (e.g. cancer, diabetes, stroke)
Setting(s)
Community
School
Country(s)
Uganda