CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda

CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda (CCHU); is a remarkable hospital that provides specialized neurosurgery services for children in Uganda. Owned and operated by CURE International, the hospital is a beacon of hope for families of children with physical disabilities such as hydrocephalus, neural tube defects, spina bifida, epilepsy, and brain tumors. Since its opening in 2000, the hospital has served more than 7,000 outpatients annually and has performed over 1,000 operations per year.

CCHU is located in Mbale, Uganda’s Eastern Region, approximately 225 kilometers northeast of Kampala. The hospital employs six doctors and 33 nurses who work tirelessly to provide quality healthcare to their patients. Despite being a private hospital that charges a fee for its services, CCHU ensures that every child with a neurological disorder receives the medical attention they need, regardless of their ethnic background, religious affiliation, or ability to pay.

CCHU not only provides medical treatment to children with neurological disorders but also offers specialized training programs in pediatric neurosurgery in collaboration with other stakeholders. The hospital’s program for advanced training in hydrocephalus provides resident doctors with the necessary skills to perform endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), a procedure for the treatment of hydrocephalus. CCHU also supports the establishment of three new ETV Centers each year, and iPATH Fellows train at CCHU for three months before returning to their own country to establish a center for the surgical treatment of hydrocephalus.

The hospital has also established a comprehensive epilepsy program for Uganda and Eastern Africa in collaboration with the West Virginia University School of Medicine. The program aims to identify, evaluate and treat Ugandans with epilepsy, train African physicians in the evaluation and treatment of epilepsy, and conduct research on the causes of epilepsy in Africa and best practices for treatment.

CCHU is truly a ray of hope for children with neurological disorders in Uganda and beyond. The hospital’s dedication to providing quality healthcare to children with physical disabilities, regardless of their ability to pay, is a testament to its commitment to improving the health and well-being of Ugandan children.