2024 CURE Children's Hospital of Uganda Annual Report
PURPOSE
CURE provides world-class surgical care to the world’s most vulnerable children for the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel.
VISION
A world where children living with disabilities reach their full potential through God’s hope and healing.
MISSION
To heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God. — Luke 9:2
A happy baby and her mother waiting to be seen by a CURE doctor at a mobile clinic in Jinja.
The numbers and statistics cited throughout this report reflect CURE’s Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), which ran from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.
The OR team tends to a patient during surgery to treat hydrocephalus.
A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Timothy Erickson
Thank you for your dedication to the mission of CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda (CURE Uganda)!
Fiscal year 2024 was one of growth and wonderful achievements, including:
Brain surgeries: 2,057 (+6% growth)
Patient visits: 10,935 (+8% growth)
People reached with the gospel: 45,125 (+8% growth)
These measures surpassed our highest annual volumes in the hospital’s 23-year history. CURE Uganda provides more pediatric brain surgeries for vulnerable children than any other hospital in the world.
In FY24, we strengthened our staffing to support the ongoing growth. We added another neurosurgeon, anesthesiologist, physiotherapist, biomed engineer, pharmacy technician, procurement and inventory supervisor, and 29 nurses to our team! FY24 was also the first full year of operations for our new 18-bed ICU, which is fully staffed with dedicated coworkers who strive daily to provide life-saving care for our precious patients.
We successfully launched our new Epilepsy Surgery Program in collaboration with Dr. Sandi Lam and her team from Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, United States. Together, our teams performed the first vertical hemispherotomy in East Africa! We
have also continued to train neurosurgery residents from the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA). CURE Uganda is an accredited training center within COSECSA’s network, providing specialized training for medical professionals in pediatric neurosurgery and other disciplines. This partnership helps us train local and regional surgeons, contributing significantly to the availability of skilled neurosurgical care in East Africa.
Our annual CURE Brain Surgery Run has become one of our most significant awareness and fundraising events. This year’s run had an overwhelming turnout, with 1,200+ participants, and raised Ugx 465,187,448 shillings in cash donations and gifts-in-kind (approximately USD $125,726).
Though we celebrate these and many other accomplishments, we know countless children still need specialized care. With your support, we are determined to expand our impact, providing healing and hope to even more families. Thank you for journeying with us in this life-saving mission.
2,648 26,139 total since inception DECISIONS FOR CHRIST * services impacted by COVID-19 pandemic challenges
SURGICAL PROCEDURES
PEOPLE REACHED WITH THE GOSPEL
Niamey NIGER
Davao City PHILIPPINES
Addis Ababa ETHIOPIA
Mbale UGANDA
Lusaka ZAMBIA
Kijabe KENYA
Blantyre MALAWI
Bulawayo ZIMBABWE
UGANDA
CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda Cities with mobile clinics in 2024
OUR NETWORK
CURE Uganda is part of a Christian nonprofit organization that operates a global network of children’s hospitals pairing world-class surgical care and counseling to serve children living with treatable disabilities and their families.
Zomba
Lira
Gulu
Jinja
Kampala
Mbarara
Mbale
CONSTRUCTING HOPE: CURE UGANDA EXPANDS CARE
Since opening in 2001, CURE Uganda has become one of Africa’s leading pediatric hospitals for brain surgery and the treatment of neurological conditions like hydrocephalus and spina bifida. With the construction of a state-of-theart Surgical Center featuring four spacious operating rooms, the hospital will be able to support ongoing growth in surgical volumes while improving quality of care. The new facility will also support increased neurosurgical training programs at the hospital.
Construction, which began in October 2023, is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The hospital anticipates performing up to 2,200 pediatric neurosurgeries annually—the highest number worldwide. The new Surgical Center will also support the CURE Neuro Fellowship Program, which trains neurosurgeons and anesthesiologists from around the world in innovative procedures like ETV (endoscopic third ventriculostomy) and CPC (choroid plexus cauterization).
This initiative will improve treatment outcomes and increase the range of disciplines and subspecialties offered, delivering essential medical care and developing future medical professionals efficiently and safely within the country and beyond its borders.
CURE Uganda’s Medical Director, Dr. Emmanuel Wegoye, expresses his gratitude for CURE’s generous partners who are helping expand care for the world’s most fragile babies. “Together, we are helping the most vulnerable and ignored children to experience God’s love and healing. It’s a privilege to know our donors and partners are standing beside us in this work.”
left: Construction is well underway on the new surgical center, which will open in late 2025.
below: The new surgical center will allow the hospital to treat 500 more kids like Ali (below) each year.
CURE UGANDA REACHES LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT
Receiving critical care in Uganda has historically faced numerous challenges, including limited intensive care units (ICUs) and a shortage of critical care professionals. Recent initiatives, however, are bringing substantial improvements. Among these, CURE Uganda stands out as a notable example, having achieved a SafeCare Level 5 certification.
SafeCare is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing healthcare quality in resource-limited settings throughout the world. Through a structured approach to
quality improvement, SafeCare provides standards and a certification process for healthcare providers to achieve internationally recognized benchmarks and elevate their services.
ENHANCED QUALITY OF CARE
CURE Uganda’s recent SafeCare Level 5 certification highlights the hospital’s commitment to delivering safe, high-quality healthcare and training neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. The SafeCare quality improvement program enhances medical professionals’ skills and knowledge, particularly in critical care areas such as perioperative medicine, pediatric care, and trauma management.
Following SafeCare guidelines, the hospital has implemented robust systems and protocols to ensure the highest standards of patient care. This includes advanced infection control measures, efficient patient management systems, and adherence to high standards of clinical practice.
“The Lord has indeed brought us far in this journey of quality and patient safety,” said Tim Erickson, CURE Uganda’s Executive Director. “I am so encouraged and deeply grateful for the tremendous dedication and hard work our team has contributed to these
efforts to improve our quality care at CURE Uganda.”
With the rigorous SafeCare standards in place, CURE Uganda is better equipped to handle complex cases and emergencies. This leads to improved patient outcomes, as high-quality critical care can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality rates.
ELEVATING CARE THROUGHOUT UGANDA
By achieving Level 5 certification, CURE Uganda sets a benchmark for other facilities in the region, promoting a culture of excellence and continuous learning. This success can inspire and motivate other providers to pursue similar certifications, elevating critical care standards throughout the country. This means better health outcomes for the population.
The SafeCare certification process also involves regular assessments and continuous improvement, ensuring the hospital maintains these high standards.
SafeCare’s structured quality improvement approach and focus on training and capacity building are key drivers of this transformation, ensuring that the highest standards of critical care are accessible to all.
Juliet Asiimwe, Quality and Patient Safety Supervisor at CURE Uganda, performs a routine SafeCare assessment.
John Wanda, a Data Collector at CURE Uganda, interacts with a patient in the ward.
FROM SEIZURES TO STRENGTH:
How CURE Uganda
Transformed Wilson’s Life
Wilson, a bright-eyed 14-year-old boy, is the youngest of ten siblings. Despite his vibrant spirit, he has faced significant challenges due to epilepsy, a neurological disorder that has caused him to suffer recurrent, unprovoked seizures for most of his life.
EARLY STRUGGLES AND FINDING HOPE AT CURE
Wilson’s struggle with epilepsy began early in his childhood. At the age of three, a bout of malaria triggered severe and frequent seizures. As a result, Wilson’s academic progress slowed, and even performing the most basic tasks became nearly impossible.
The stigma attached to epilepsy in his community isolated him and his family, with many attributing his condition to supernatural causes. His peers often teased him about his academic performance, further compounding his challenges.
Desperate for a solution, Wilson’s family sought treatment far and wide. Their search led them to CURE Uganda, known for our specialized care for children with neurological disorders. Here, Wilson was given antiseizure medication and underwent various tests, which revealed developmental issues in a portion of his brain.
After the medication significantly reduced his seizures, Wilson underwent a crucial surgery at CURE Uganda.
Our skilled medical team, in partnership with visiting neurosurgeons from Ann and Robert H. Lurie’s Children’s Hospital of Chicago, addressed the issues in
Wilson and his sister, Betty, who has been Wilson’s cheerleader and advocate throughout his treatment journey, in the ward at CURE Uganda.
his brain using a less invasive technique called a vertical hemispherectomy, giving Wilson a new lease on life. And he received this specialized treatment at CURE at no cost, thanks to the faithful support of our generous donors.
A NEW BEGINNING
Wilson’s condition has had profound physical, emotional, and social impacts. At 14, he is still in the lower primary level at school, behind his agemates. Despite the obstacles, Wilson’s family provides
“
--- Betty, Wilson’s sister WILSON CAN RECEIVE HEALING AND PROCLAIM TO THE WORLD THAT HE IS NOT DEMONIC BUT A CHILD CREATED AND LOVED BY ALMIGHTY GOD.”
unwavering support, especially his sister and caregiver, Betty, who ensures he feels loved and valued.
“The surgery has been a turning point for Wilson,” Betty says. “He no longer experiences the debilitating seizures as before, and we’ve seen significant improvements.”
She now holds even greater hope and prays for continued progress in Wilson’s recovery.
Post-surgery, Wilson returned to school with renewed determination. His parents hope he can acquire basic reading and writing skills and enroll in a technical school for hands-on courses like
Wilson’s surgical team included Dr. Sandi Lam (left), visiting Neurosurgeon from Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, and Dr. Emmanuel Wegoye (right), Neurosurgeon and Medical Director at CURE Uganda.
carpentry. Despite his difficulties, they are thankful for his progress.
Wilson’s dad says they are teaching him about the Bible and ensures he attends Sunday school to learn how to pray.
“Thank you, CURE friends and partners, for sponsoring Wilson’s life-saving treatment. Because of your generous donations and support, Wilson can receive healing and proclaim to the world that he is not demonic but a child created and loved by Almighty God,” Betty expressed.
With continued treatment and the love of his family, Wilson’s future holds the promise of better health and greater acceptance from those around him.
After life-saving surgery at CURE, Wilson hopes to pursue a trade like carpentry in the future.
FISCAL YEAR 2024
CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda
STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FY2024
Cochairpersons:
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr. Timothy Erickson, MBA
Board Secretary & Treasurer
The Honorable Janet Museveni
First Lady of Uganda & Member of Parliament
Dr. Patrick Bitature
Chairman, SIMBA Corporation
Executive Director, CURE Uganda
Ret. Ambassador
Angelina Wapakabulo
Ret. High Commissioner to Kenya
Mr. Martin Muhwezi, MBA
Financial Planner
Dr. Emmanuel Wegoye
Medical Director & Neurosurgeon, CURE Uganda
Pastor Fred Wangwa
Spiritual Director, CURE Uganda
Mr. Peter Kyalo
Chief Program Officer, CURE International
CURE Uganda staff gathered in front of the hospital.
partnerships PARTNERSHIPS
Acacia Community Church (Jinja)
Adina Foundation (Lira)
African Humanitarian Action
Anne and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
AVSI Uganda (Gulu)
Bulamu Health Care International
CFAO Motors Limited (Toyota Uganda)
Child Care Africa - CCA
Child-Help International
Christian Services International
College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA)
DC - Laundary
Ekisa Ministries and Children’s Home
Finn Church Aid
Gulu Regional Referral
JMS - Joint Medical Stores
Katalemwa Cheshire Home for Rehabilitation Services
Lira Medical Center
Mbale City Health Office
Ministry of Health Uganda
Mission Aviation Fellowship, Uganda
Office of the First Lady of Uganda
Patrick and Carol Bitature Foundation
Ruharo Mission Hospital (Mbarara)
SHAU - Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Uganda
Smile Train
Toto Africa
Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau
UMEME Uganda
USRATUNA Rehabilitation Center
CURE Brain Surgery Run Sponsors
JOIN US
REFER A CHILD
CURE Uganda welcomes patient referrals. If you know of a child who could benefit from the services offered by CURE Uganda, please contact us or bring the child to our clinic during planned hours. Our contact information is listed on the back cover.
GIVE
All medical care is provided through the generous contribution of CURE donors, our nonprofit partners, and insurance programs. Children will be treated by our clinical team without charge or debt created. Please contact us if you are interested in sponsoring a child’s surgery or a mobile clinic.
PRAY
We believe that God alone is the source of changed lives and transformed communities. Please join us in asking for God’s healing for the children we serve.
Thank you for sharing in our mission to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God!
