Implementation and Scale-Up of Psycho-Trauma Centers in a Post-Conflict Area: A Case Study of a Private–Public Partnership in Northern Uganda

摘要

Since declaring independence from the British in 1962, the Republic of Uganda has experienced three-and-a-half decades of protracted civil war. No region of the country has been spared. In 1987, the Holy Spirit Uprising [1] gave rise to renewed conflict in the northern regions; since then, the movement has grown into the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) Insurrection. This rebel group, led by Joseph Kony, waged war not only against the Uganda People's Defense Force, but also against civilians residing in the area. As a consequence, the majority of northern Uganda's population has directly experienced mass violence, and more than 1.8 million civilians have lived in squalid camps as internally displaced persons (IDPs) [2]. In 2006, the Ugandan government began negotiating potential peace accords with the LRA, and a permanent cease-fire agreement was signed between the two parties in 2008. Despite signs that the conflict may be coming to an end, the impacts of war remain.