Muhoozi Oscar co-founded Dynamic Doctors Uganda (DDU) in 2018 to tackle various health issues facing communities across Uganda. Growing up as an orphan, Dr. Muhoozi faces the lasting impacts of childhood malnutrition. Moreso, his upbringing has given Dr. Muhoozi a drive to change the healthcare landscape in his community. The DDU volunteer corps of doctors, medical students, and other health professionals provide comprehensive health screening and healthcare services to marginalized communities in rural villages. Their mission is to offer accessible healthcare services to those who otherwise receive little or no help due to financial, geographical, and societal barriers.As a core component of its work, DDU advocates for access to care, especially for the most marginalized communities in Uganda.
Growing up as an orphan has left Dr. Muhoozi with the lasting impacts of childhood malnutrition. Moreso, his upbringing has given Dr. Muhoozi a drive to change the healthcare landscape in his community.
Dr. Muhoozi explains that this severe lack of funding has caused entire communities to be unable to access medical practitioners, which has resulted in low health literacy in many areas. Along with clinical care, DDU teaches communities about health issues and how to care for themselves. They are filling the gap not only in health provision but also in health education
Women and girls are amongst the most marginalized groups that DDU serves due to political, societal, and cultural frameworks. Alongside reproductive health, one of the key issues facing women and girls that DDU addresses is malnutrition. Malnutrition is a significant public health issue in Uganda that affects men, women, and children. However, there are several reasons why malnutrition is considered a women's health issue in Uganda.
Women in Uganda bear the primary responsibility for feeding and caring for their families, including children and the elderly. They often prioritize their family's needs over their own nutritional requirements, resulting in malnutrition. Moreover, Ugandan women are more likely to be affected by poverty and social inequality than their male counterparts, limiting their access to nutritious food, healthcare, and education. Therefore, malnutrition eradication efforts must take these factors into account.
DDU hopes to address malnutrition and the various other health issues faced by marginalized communities in Uganda by providing education and screening patients before they require emergency care. Their community outreach strategy aims to disrupt the traditional healthcare delivery model and advocates for a new community-centered approach.
Malnutrition has severe health implications for women, including anemia, low birth weight, and poor maternal health outcomes. Malnourished women are at higher risk of giving birth to underweight infants, leading to long-term health problems for the child. Additionally, malnutrition often impedes a woman's economic and social activities, perpetuating poverty and inequality. All of these factors can create a cycle of malnourishment for generations— data shows that undernutrition is attributed to approximately 45% of deaths among children under five.
DDU hopes to address malnutrition and the various other health issues faced by marginalized communities in Uganda by providing education and screening patients before they require emergency care. Their community outreach strategy aims to disrupt the traditional healthcare delivery model and advocates for a new community-centered approach. “What keeps me going daily is [the drive] to be of value to Africa,” Dr. Muhoozi states.