IHACC UGANDARESEARCH SUMMARY FOR MONTREAL CONFERENCE

AUGUST 17, 2010

Pilot research team: (L to R) Celine, Thomas, Kathryn, and Obed

Research site: Kanungu district, Southwest Uganda

We worked with Batwa Pygmy communities close to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, famous as the home of half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas

Forest remains on the hills while areas closer to town have been heavily cultivated, e.g. for tea plantations

Mukongoro Batwa Pygmy community

Mukongoro as illustrated by a participant in our mapping exercise

The hills around Mukongoro are used to grow cassava, beans, banana, millet, sorghum, among many crops.

Kihembe Batwa Pygmy community

Kihembe as illustrated by a participant in our mapping exercise

Mukongoro community members celebrate a successful week of research with traditional dancing

Kihembe celebrates with dancing and drumming

We used participatory rapid rural appraisal research methods. The community became a part of our research team.

Methods used included household semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, biographies, future storylines, participatory mapping, and community meetings.

PhotoVoice was conducted with 21 local participants

Community members were taught to use digital cameras

Through photography, community members could show us how their environment affects their health

After the photos were taken, we met in groups to discuss them

Children taking part in our mapping exercise

Finished product

Research Results:

KEY HEALTH CONCERNS

1. Water

Water sources for drinking and household use are dirty and often dry up for a couple of months every year

2. Sanitation: Communities lack proper latrines and other waste disposal facilities

3. Malnutrition: Almost all families reported not having enough to eat both in calories and nutrition

Children appeared visibly malnourished

4. Land: Agricultural plots are small and the soil exhausted

5. Housing: Wind and rain can penetrate into the mud and grass huts of the Batwa, leading to illnesses such as pneumonia

7. Money: Many families cannot afford household necessities such as pots which are used for cooking and boiling water

Lacking income, families cannot afford mosquito nets to cover their beds

Children are by far the most sensitive to disease

The most common illnesses reported were malaria, cough, ‘stomach itching’ and worms

Research Results:

ADAPTIVE CAPACITY OF HEALTH SYSTEMS

Traditional medicine is used as primary healthcare

Western healthcare is turned to secondly

Climate change predictions for the region include…

More extreme seasons. The dry season will be drier and the rainy season rainier.

Warmer temperatures

Increase in severe weather events

Adaptations include…

Livelihood diversification

Change in agricultural practices

Waste disposal