Isaiah Chebrot, MD, (right) with TCI’s country lead in Uganda, Allan Katamba.
There isn’t much that Isaiah Chebrot, M.D., doesn’t love about public health. “You learn a lot about protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. I love working with people from all walks of life,” he says, adding that he wants to see Kampala City as a model of the best managed health systems. “It is possible we only need to address the gaps we have and be innovative in how we manage our resources.”
With more than seven years’ experience in Ugandan health systems, Chebrot was at the helm of a recent Challenge Initiative effort to bring health services – including family planning – to women living in the Ki-Mombasa slum in Kampala’s Kawempe Division. As the Division Health Officer for Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), Chebrot embodies the Initiative’s model to let cities lead and solve their own health issues for sustainability – as he did in the recent integrated community outreach event held March 5-6. While Chebrot led the technical implementation for KCCA, Deputy Mayor Ntale Ismail of Kawempe Division provided the political leadership and commitment. KCCA’s village health teams fanned out across the community to mobilize people to attend the event and more than 700 community members turned up to access health services provided free of charge.
Chebrot believes that addressing urban population growth is the key to improving health and well-being overall in his community. “When you solve the puzzle of how to increase access to family planning services, you get the result of a healthier city and better quality of life for many,” he says.
The Initiative is implemented by Jhpiego locally in Uganda under the Tupange for Better Cities brand.
“Tupange for Better Cities will enable us to deliver the best care possible to the most underserved populations in Kampala City. We will work together to develop the best program and learn from other countries how they are addressing the population growth challenges. The opportunity is invaluable,“ he adds.
The video below was produced March 6 at the integrated community outreach event. Chebrot is interviewed by Stacey Solomon – U.K. celebrity and TCI’s family planning champion through Comic Relief.
