Mission Mannya is an Australian charity focused on providing accessible, affordable and judgement free healthcare to isolated and vulnerable communities in southern Uganda. Although only formalised with the ACNC and DGR-endorsement in 2023, members of the Mission Mannya committee have been undertaking volunteer medical placements in this region since 2011.

Mission Mannya strives to improve access to healthcare in the regions surrounding the Rakai District of Uganda. This is currently achieved through the provision of large-scale medical outreach camps, where at-risk individuals can access medical assessment, health education, and medical supplies from a collaboration of Ugandan and Australian healthcare professionals. We have also introduced a surgical camp performing safe, free and often life-changing surgeries in both paediatric and adult patient. Our objective is to alleviate the effects of poverty in the region whilst encouraging community engagement in health.

 The framework and location of our medical outreach camps are designed by local health leaders, led by the clinician in charge of St Bernard’s Mannya Health Centre III, Vincent Kyeswa. This local knowledge allows us to focus our resources on areas with little or no medical infrastructure and support ongoing engagement in basic healthcare. Working in conjunction with local teams is invaluable as it promotes the sharing of skills and knowledge between Australian and Ugandan professionals and ensures that care is culturally appropriate.

Mission Mannya is focused on empowering individuals to engage in their health despite the significant socioeconomic and geographical barriers that oppose this. We provide individuals with unique and previously unattainable access to numerous areas of care. These include an opportunity to seek and obtain diagnoses and receive essential medications, dental care, basic surgeries and nutritional support. Of vital importance is the access to assessment and advice and the provision of avenues for ongoing care. This forms the basis of engendering health literacy within the communities, which is fundamental to both short-term and long-term disease management. Our ongoing purpose is to create lasting change across the region by encouraging and promoting health-seeking behaviours and opportunities and supporting local healthcare staff with educational opportunities.