Transform Maternal & Newborn Care in Uganda

Thanks to your generous support, we are making meaningful progress in strengthening care for mothers and newborns across Uganda. What began as a focused intervention is rapidly growing into a scalable, life-saving system reaching thousands of families.

Training the People Who Save Lives

We started by investing in the people at the heart of care.

• 20 expert trainers have been equipped in Essential Newborn Care (ENC 1 & 2)
• These trainers have reached health workers in 64 health facilities, supporting care for over 5,000 mothers and newborns
• 800 health workers have received hands-on mentorship to strengthen lifesaving skills

In addition, 180 health workers are now continuously improving their skills through simulation-based training led by their own district teams, ensuring knowledge stays local and sustainable.

Bringing Care Closer to Newborns Who Need It Most

Access to specialized newborn care is expanding:

• 13 Neonatal Care Units are now fully functional
• 10 more units are currently being refurbished and equipped (bringing the total to 23 in progress)

These units are part of a larger vision to establish 50 units that will serve over 1,000,000 babies.

We are also strengthening care at all levels:

• A Level III Neonatal Unit is being set up at a Regional Referral Hospital to manage complex cases
• 64 health facilities now have Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) spaces to care for small and preterm babies closer to home

This means more babies are receiving timely, appropriate care—without dangerous delays.

Innovations That Are Going Beyond Borders

Our work is not only saving lives, but it is also shaping how care is delivered.

Innovations like the Neonatal Matrix, designed to simplify data use in low-resource settings, are now being adopted in neighboring countries. This allows health workers to make faster, better decisions for newborn care.

Smarter Referrals, Faster Care

We have introduced the Safe and Urgent Referrals Application (SURE-APP) to improve how mothers and newborns are transferred between facilities.

This has already:

• Reduced unnecessary referrals
• Improved response times for emergencies
• Increased efficiency in transport and fuel use

Ultimately, it ensures that those who need urgent care get it faster.

What This Means

Every training, every unit established, and every improved referral is helping prevent avoidable deaths.

Together, we are building a system where:

• Health workers are confident and skilled
• Facilities are equipped to provide quality care
• Mothers and babies receive the right care at the right time

What’s Next

With your continued support, we aim to:

• Complete all 50 Neonatal Care Units
• Reach more high-need districts
• Continue training and mentoring frontline health workers
• Scale innovations that improve care and save lives

You Are Part of This Impact

Because of you, more mothers are surviving childbirth, and more newborns are getting a healthy start to life.

Thank you for standing with us. With continued support, we can reach even more families and move closer to a future where no mother or newborn dies from preventable causes.

Links:

• Bulamu MCH

• MCH_REPORT.pdf (PDF)