COLLECTIVE RECOVERY: DEVELOPING REHABILITATION PROGRAMS FOR RECOVERING ALCOHOLICS IN RURAL UGANDA

Introduction and Objective The Batwa Pygmies of Bwindi Impenetrable Forrest Uganda have struggled with high prevalence of alcohol addiction since being displaced from there rural forest habitat in the 1990s as part of Gorilla conservation efforts. At Bwindi Community Hospital alcohol support groups have been developed to try to improve abstinence and recovery. The goal is to increase adherence to abstinence and enable functional reintegration into community life. Method The model used is based on integrating support group concepts from Alcoholic Anonymous with a unique local twist. During the HIV epidemic in the 90s, communities came together to create Bataka groups; each member of the group would make small monthly contributions and then when a relative passed away the group would support the burial costs. The alcohol rehabilitation program applies this culturally recognised method in the support groups; members contribute a small amount of funds each month Results and Conclusions Adherence to the groups has been high and research trips into the community have found that the funds have been spent on suitable items to support vocational and social rehabilitation such as stoves, bicycles and other useful tools and resources. The program has also been successfully applied to the Rukiga tribal population, the other main tribal group in the area. We are now exploring expanding to develop the integration of vocational skills training into the rehabilitation programs.