Four hard-to-reach districts chosen for maternal health upgrade
The programme will further include maternal and child health outreach camps, training for health workers, digital health initiatives, and support for Village Health Teams to improve early identification and referral of pregnant women with complications.
the minister of state for primary health care, Dr Charles Ayume (Centre) poses for a photo with UNFPA officials and other officials at the event. (Courtesy)
__________________ The minister of state for primary health care, Dr Charles Ayume. (Courtesy)
Four hard-to-reach districts with some of the most pressing maternal and newborn healthcare needs have been selected to receive critical upgrades under a new public-private partnership aimed at reducing preventable deaths among mothers and babies.
The Ministry of Health said Kibiito Health Centre IV in Bunyangabu District, Maddu Health Centre IV in Gomba District, Kiyunga Health Centre IV in Luuka district and Karita Health Centre IV in Amudat District were identified following a technical assessment that highlighted significant service gaps in maternal and child healthcare.
The improvements, to be funded through MTN Uganda's 2026 21 Days of Y'ello Care campaign in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and other stakeholders, will strengthen emergency obstetric and newborn care in communities where access to quality healthcare remains limited.
The selected facilities will receive infrastructure upgrades, solar power systems, water storage facilities, essential medical equipment and digital health technologies to improve maternal and newborn services. Karita Health Centre IV in Amudat will also have its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) strengthened to improve care for premature and critically ill newborns.
The programme will further include maternal and child health outreach camps, training for health workers, digital health initiatives, and support for Village Health Teams to improve early identification and referral of pregnant women with complications.
The intervention comes despite Uganda making notable progress in increasing the number of women delivering in health facilities.
UNFPA Deputy Country Representative Daniel Alemu said Uganda's biggest challenge is no longer persuading women to deliver in health facilities but ensuring that those facilities can provide quality emergency care when complications arise.
"While access to facilities has expanded, our greatest bottleneck today is the gap in quality and timely emergency care. Delays in recognising danger signs, lack of essential equipment and referral hurdles continue to claim lives, particularly in underserved, rural, island and hard-to-reach communities," Alemu said.
He revealed that the country continues to lose an estimated 2,800 mothers every year to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications.
Uganda's maternal mortality ratio currently stands at 189 deaths per 100,000 live births, nearly three times higher than the Sustainable Development Goal target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Speaking at the launch of the programme on Monday (August 3) at UNFPA offices in Kampala, the minister of state for primary health care, Dr Charles Ayume, said the choice to focus on maternal and newborn health aligns with government efforts to strengthen healthcare in underserved communities.
"On behalf of the Ministry of Health and the Government of Uganda, I commend MTN Uganda for choosing to focus this year's campaign on maternal and newborn health, an area that remains central to our efforts to improve the well-being of families and communities across the country," Ayume said.
Ayume noted that partnerships with the private sector have contributed significantly to improvements in maternal and child health over the past two decades, but said more investment is needed to close persistent gaps in emergency obstetric care. He said the four districts were among communities where investment in equipment, digital systems, health worker capacity and community mobilisation could significantly improve maternal and newborn survival.
Beyond infrastructure improvements, the initiative will train medical records officers on the Electronic Medical Records Information System (EMRIS), strengthen digital literacy among community health workers through the Maendeleo Foundation and expand access to maternal health information using digital platforms.
The campaign will also promote male involvement in maternal healthcare, community screening for high-risk pregnancies and financial literacy through MTN MoMo, and recognising that economic empowerment plays a role in improving health outcomes.
According to UNFPA, investing in maternal and reproductive healthcare extends beyond the health sector, reducing household poverty, improving children's education outcomes and strengthening national productivity.
Five years ago, MTN Foundation, UNFPA and the Ministry of Health invested sh1.33b in expanding medical oxygen capacity at Kawempe National Referral Hospital and upgrading maternal health infrastructure at health facilities in Kalangala, Karugutu, Pakwach and Muyembe.
MTN MoMo Uganda Managing Director Phrase Lubega said the campaign demonstrates the company’s commitment to using connectivity, technology and partnerships to support solutions that improve lives.
“At MTN Uganda, we believe that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life. That belief goes beyond providing connectivity; it is about leveraging our people, platforms and partnerships to support solutions that improve lives and create meaningful impact in communities,” he said.
Uganda has reduced maternal deaths substantially over the past decade, from about 336 deaths per 100,000 live births over ten years ago to 189 deaths per 100,000 births today. However, Alemu said achieving the country's national targets of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030 will require sustained investment in quality healthcare, especially in rural and hard-to-reach communities where women continue to face delays in accessing lifesaving emergency obstetric services.