Saving Lives at Birth; Maternal Health in Uganda

Say hello to Eva, or Momma Eva as she has become affectionately known as here at the Shanti Uganda Birth House. Eva, whose married, Muslim name is Hawa, has recently spent some time at Shanti, awaiting the birth of her most recent baby.  This is her sixth child, and third to be born at the Birth House. With the help of our groundskeeper Kato acting as a translator, we spoke to Eva about her decision to return twice over for her labours and births of her children.

Eva is 30, and has been married for many years already. She describes her husband, a farmer, as a good man who supports and loves her. The staff at Shanti have seen this first hand; her husband came almost everyday to visit her, bring her food and bring their children to visit her during her time at the Birth House. He also arrived shortly after the birth to meet his new baby.

Eva arrived early, staying a few weeks before giving birth. During her time with us, she was  kind and giving, helping new mothers with breastfeeding and bathing, and watching their newborns so they could take a much needed nap. She also became very friendly with the staff, helping out with cooking and socialising under the awning during the hot afternoons.

Originally from Kampala, she now lives in the  small town of Buuyaka, approximately two and  half miles from the Birth House. Her father passed away while she was a child and so she had to leave school early. She has a large family, with five brothers and four sisters, and now six children of her own. We were lucky enough to meet her oldest, her daughter Beat, the day after the birth of her youngest, her third daughter.

Eva has many positive things to say about Shanti and why she has chosen to return here for her last three births. She speaks of the beautiful grounds and excellent care provided at Shanti, and thanks Shanti Uganda for building this maternity center. She comments that the care provided at other facilities during her first three births was not the same quality as she has received at the Shanti Birth House. She also praises Shanti’s affordability, saying she has shared Shanti widely within her village and it is now well known there.

During the end of our conversation Eva mentions that her third child was the tenth to ever be born at Shanti upon its establishment here six years ago. Although she intends to have tubal ligation and thus no other children after this birth, she will continue to come for postnatal care, bring her children for their vaccinations, and share her experiences with other local women. We will miss Momma Eva and we look forward to seeing her during her future visits to Shanti.

One of Shanti Uganda's most meaningful partnerships has been with the Programme for Accessible health and Community Education (PACE). PACE is a local Ugandan non-profit, providing reproductive and child health services throughout Uganda.

On Friday, October 21st, several members of Shanti Uganda's staff collaborated with PACE’s village health trainers (VHTs) to provide a family planning outreach day in Luweero town. The  outreach was extremely successful, with a total uptake of 86 services, the most ever for a Shanti family planning outreach!

Our midwives were kept busy throughout the day providing birth control implants, IUDs, and contraceptive injections. 46 local women received these family planning services. All acquired detailed information regarding the risks and benefits associated with each method from VHTs Flora and Margaret, ensuring informed consent. Flora and Margaret also sensitively dispelled a great many negative myths around family planning.

In addition to family planning, 39 women were tested for HIV. These outreaches provide a quick and convenient way for women to obtain their HIV status, without having to travel long distances to a clinic.    With so many women reached and referring their friends and family, Shanti will be returning to this location in November to continue meeting this community's needs. We expect to reach many more women and their partners during this outreach. 

Barriers such as transportation or caring for other children often prevent rural women in our area from coming to our birth house to receive services. Bringing our staff to the community allows us to provide needed care and treatment to many more mothers.  These outreaches also allow women in the community to learn more about Shanti Uganda, and the additional services we provide, including vaccinations for pregnant women and children up to age 5, routine laboratory testing for malaria and other common infections, as well as comprehensive perinatal care. 

Your support allows us to continue these vital outreaches. Each successful outreach provides an opportunity for our dedicated staff to serve even more members of our district, strengthening the bonds between Shanti Uganda and our community.