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About the Association
A community-based organisation founded in 2009, with 482 trained volunteers promoting sustainable community health across Amuru District.
Rooted in Amuru since 2009
The Amuru Village Health Team Association is a non-profit, politically neutral community-based organisation founded in 2009 through the goodwill of Michael Westerhaus and Amy Finnegan, with support from Lacor Hospital Gulu.
Registered with the Amuru sub-county and district community development offices (Reg. No. CDR/0505/B), the association today brings together 482 dedicated members, trained by health organisations and the Amuru District local government.
The VHT initiative was heavily mobilised between 2005 and 2007 during the conflict between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army, when volunteers equipped with first aid kits became the only link to care for communities in displacement camps.
Village Health Teams are made up of village-based volunteers selected directly by their own communities, the trusted first link between a household and formal health care.
Our commitment for the future
A healthier future for every home
- Equitable care reaching every parish
- Earlier referrals, fewer preventable illnesses
- A model sustained by the community itself
Healthy community of Amuru.
What we set out to do
- Equip volunteers with mobility and tools
- Reach the most distant households
- Put prevention ahead of cure
A community driven organisation committed to promoting sustainable community health through public health education.
Our guiding principles
Community driven
Our volunteers are selected by their own communities, so the work is owned by Amuru.
Prevention first
Health education and early action come before cure, because most illness here is preventable.
Sustainability
A bicycle workshop and a savings scheme keep volunteers mobile and the work self-sustaining.
Trusted & neutral
Politically neutral and accountable, we have built lasting trust between volunteers and communities.
The first point of care
VHTs function as Health Center I, the vital first consultation before a patient reaches a formal health center or hospital for diagnosis and treatment. Traditionally each volunteer covered 25 to 30 households, around 180 people; after resettlement, many now serve between 70 and 100 households each.
- Launched the VHT bicycle project for healthcare mobility
- Achieved a notable reduction in preventable diseases
- Built a reliable patient referral pipeline
- VHT members rose into local health leadership
Founders & partners
The people and organisations whose goodwill and support built and sustain the association.
Michael Westerhaus
Co-founder
Amy Finnegan
Co-founder
Lacor Hospital Gulu
Founding partner
Bikes Not Bombs
Sustainability partner
Stand with Amuru's health workers
Volunteer your time or partner with us to keep Amuru's health teams moving. Every bicycle and every hour widens the circle of care.