Saving Lives at Birth; Maternal Health in Uganda

The last quarter has been very exciting at Shanti Uganda. Thanks to the support of many partners and donors, and a grant from LUSH Cosmetics North America, we were able to move forward with a long-time dream of ours: expanding the Birth House. In mid-October, we broke ground on the new building at our birth centre. This expansion will house new birth suites, additional postnatal beds, private counseling rooms, and more.

Why is this so important? So that we can continue to expand our reach in serving more mothers and families across Uganda!

Even without this expansion, Shanti already makes an incredible impact. This quarter alone, our Birth House staff provided care for:

• 81 births
• 520 antenatal visits
• 260 postnatal visits
• 86 family planning visits
• 875 child immunizations
• and more!

This could not have been done without your support—thank you!

We recently spoke with a Shanti mom who exemplified just how meaningful this impact is. Shamim gave birth to her third child, Swadiq, in September; he was her second child born at our Birth House. Reflecting on her experiences, Shamim remarked that “Unlike other facilities, at the Shanti Uganda Birth House, the midwives watch you and are caring for you throughout the time you spend at the Birth House. For my two births at Shanti Uganda, the midwives took good care of me. Midwife Joy walked with me and advised me on various positions as I laboured with my second child. She made sure I had all the necessities before, during and after birth. The moment I learned of my third pregnancy, I knew Shanti Uganda was the best maternal health facility to birth at.”

In addition to the antenatal care, birth, and postnatal care she received, Shamim was able to access family planning services at Shanti Uganda so that she could space her births. Overjoyed with the hands-on, compassionate care she received, Shamim now recommends Shanti to all the women in reproductive age in her community.