In March 2011 Maternity Worldwide conducted a detailed needs assessment in partnership with WHO Uganda and the Ugandan Ministry of Health. This identified the site for a new integrated maternal health program in Hoima and Masindi Districts (population 833,100). Further site visits in 2012 have developed partnership agreements with the District Health Office, Hoima Referral Hospital, Azur Clinic (maternity), the Anglican Diocese (the largest provider of community health services) and Meeting Point (a successful local community outreach HIV NGO). Current healthcare services are fragmented with particularly poor provision in rural areas and access to family planning is very low.
It is estimated that each year in Uganda at least 4700 women and girls die in pregnancy and childbirth
In Uganda at present the maternal mortality ratio (that is the number of women and girls who die for every 100,000 live babies born) is high at 310. The effect of AIDS is also a central issue with 25% of maternal deaths being indirectly AIDS related.
Our Uganda Country Strategy was launched in late 2012 with a focus on improving access to knowledge and services in the rural areas initially around Hoima and capacity building and training of staff in the Princess Alexandria Health Centre (previously called the Azur clinic) and the government Referral Hospital.
From March 2013 we are beginning to carry out more detailed scoping work with our partner, Help Hoima, to identify the most effective ways of improving access to maternal health services in the locality. You can find more information on the Princess Alexandria Health Centre here and about our partnership here.
If you would like to take part in the fundraising bike ride to Uganda in September 2013 and visit this project please click here for more information.
