By Benna Aguti and Gloria Anena | Clinical Officers
Dear Supporter,
Please accept our heartfelt gratitude for your partnership in preventing maternal deaths in the rural communities where we work in Gulu Uganda. We are always pleased to share with you the journey you so gladly have accepted to walk with us through.
Like the saying goes a journey of many miles begins with a single step. The Karin Medical Health Centre has taken many determined steps in the journey to improve the quality of care to the community, thanks to the leadership of the incharge Benna Aguti, the clinician-in-charge at the clinic.
Karin Medical Health Centre is seeking to expand health care services in the community. The health of a mother impacts the family and the entire community. Her ability and access to receive necessary healthcare largely determines health outcomes for herself and her baby. Like many developing countries, Uganda has high maternal mortality rates of 438/ 100000 births.(UDHS 2012). Uganda’s maternal mortality ratio; the annual number of deaths of women from pregnancy-related causes per 100,000 live births, stands at 435 (UNICEF 2012).
Women die as a result of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth and the major complications include severe bleeding, infections, unsafe abortion and obstructed labor.
In the last one year since the onpening of the health centre, Benna has delivered six emergency babies. And we do not know how long this will go on for, becuase there are no health centres within this locality, says Benna. “It was tough,” she recalled having to work with barely any delivery equipment, she recalled.
Walking around the half completed building, Benna proudly points out that once this building is completed, the community will be saved from the number of mothers and babies dying during births. “we pray that we can raise enough funds to complete by the end of next year.
For now, the health centre is encouraging mothers to regularly attend Antenatal care and ensure that they are immunised for Tetanus. They also ensure that all thier clients are referred to a nearby health facility when they are ready for delivery. “We are not going to accept any maternal deaths,” said Benna. “We all started with that spirit—that there is no reason a woman should die during pregnancy or giving birth.”
Construction of the new Karin Maternity and Newborn Unit has also moved forward in leaps and bounds since our last update. This facility is on track to open at the end of 2015, and will provide high quality maternal and newborn healthcare services for emergency and high risk cases in the region of Gulu District. The facility will conduct over 5,000 quality deliveries every year, and will add 20 beds, relieving facilities that are currently overwhelmed by demand.
Your contributions and support have made all of this progress possible, but the struggle isn’t over. Northern Uganda is still one of the most challenging places in the world to become a mother, and we need you to recruit more support for our cause. When potential supporters hear us talking about why they should make a donation today, they listen. But when your friends and family hear you talk about our work as someone who is already a supporter and knows that we are making a difference, they’ll act.
Today, we are asking for a few clicks of your mouse: take 5 minutes to share our GlobalGiving page with your contacts and tell them why you decided to donate to us and why they should do the same.
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