About Us Learn
Our Vision
To set the standard for how to bring sustainable, equitable health services to remote, marginalized communities.
Our Mission
To link remote communities to healthcare.
Learning about the need
Kevin Gibbons and Carolyne Ariokot started Health Access Connect based on the need for anti-retroviral treatment (ART) and other health services that they witnessed in fishing villages on Lake Victoria. Many people fail to get health services because it’s too expensive and difficult to travel to the nearest facility. We said, “There must be a way to address this problem!” HAC came from that initial need that we learned from the communities, and our programs are all designed to serve our mission to link Ugandans living in remote areas with healthcare resources.
Coming up with solutions
Initially, we thought, “Let’s start a delivery service to deliver anti-retroviral drugs to remote villages.” But as we discussed the idea with health officials, they informed us that only health workers can distribute medicine in Uganda, so our model developed into a way of bringing the health facility to these remote areas on a monthly basis. Over time we have worked with health workers to integrate more services, including malaria treatment, vaccinations, perinatal care, child checkups, and family planning.
Our Team Meet
Staff
Kevin Gibbons
Kevin Gibbons has a background in quantitative and qualitative research and skills in program development and community organizing.
Carolyne Ariokot
Carolyne Ariokot has over 10 years’ experience in banking operations, which has given her deep knowledge in project management and risk mitigation.
Bridget Nanyonjo
Bridget Nanyonjo specializes in social survey and focus group discussion research and project evaluation in Ugandan communities.
Winfred Nakaweesi
Winfred Nakaweesi has a BS in nursing and an MPH from Clarke International University. She brings a wealth of experience, with 5 years in family planning at Marie Stopes UG and 2 years as a critical care nurse at International Hospital Kampala.
Costaritah Nalukwago
Costaritah Nalukwago brings her background in nursing, public health, and operations management to expand HAC’s activities to reach new areas and provide a higher quality of service.
Anthony Tisasirana
Anthony Tisasirana has a background in financial administration and logistics. He has worked on teams conducting audits of national programs in Uganda. At HAC he oversees finances, procurement, supply chain, and various logistics.
Ivan Walukhu
Ivan Walukhu has a BS in nursing. He brings a wealth of experience in health promotion, joining HAC from BRAC in Iganga, Uganda, where he was a trainer for community health workers.
Mark Kayongo
Mark Kayongo works in Kyamuswa Subcounty, Kalangala District and organizes communities within the small islands of this district in Lake Victoria.
Ann Kugonza
Ann Kugonza has many years of experience as a midwife, trainer of health workers, and counselor. She works organizing communities and health workers in Masaka District.
Pascal Ssekalala
Pascal Ssekalala has years of experience as a trainer and first responder at the Ugandan Red Cross Society. He organizes communities and health workers in Rakai District.
Board of Directors
Health Access Connect Uganda
Benson Chirwa
Dr. Benson Chirwa has been working in leadership, policy, and patient care within global health and HIV/AIDS for over 20 years.
Rebecca Kinney
Rebecca Kinney is a primary care physician with a background in HIV and global health policy whose current work improves the integrity of essential products and services.
Ronald Tibiita
Ronald Tibiita has spent his career as an implementer and researcher of multiple global health programs.
Nazeem Mohamed
Nazeem Mohamed has over 40 years of executive experience in the global pharmaceutical and development sectors.
Board of Directors
Health Access Connect USA
Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis serves as legal counsel to small-to-middle market companies and entrepreneurs.
Amelia Nicholson
Amelia Nicholson has a background in nursing, public health, fundraising, and organizational management.
Rebecca Kinney
Rebecca Kinney is a primary care physician with a background in HIV and global health policy whose current work improves the integrity of essential products and services.
Jan Baskin
Jan Baskin is a globally recognized expert in marketing communications, business growth, turn-around, and sustainability.
Denise Birungi Evans
Denise Birungi Evans specializes in public health administration and organization management and oversight.
Advisory Board
Health Access Connect Uganda
Allie Kibwika Muyinda
Allie Kibwika Muyinda has spent his career working in health administration, human resource development, and national and global health policy.
So what do we *actually* do?!
The majority of our work is organizing and coordinating with health officials, local leaders, and residents of remote villages. Our staff are regularly found moving among remote villages, health facilities, and partner offices. Our staff move around a lot!
We also spend time conducting monitoring and evaluation research activities, reporting our impacts, and applying for funding.
