Vision Group, Orient Bank to save mothers

By Cecilia Okoth

KAMPALA - Over 3,000 expectant mothers in Kampala will access free antenatal care and get mama kits, through an initiative sponsored by Vision Group in partnership with Orient Bank.

On Wednesday, Vision Group and Orient Bank signed a memorandum of understanding to undertake the initiative dubbed Antenatal Open Day.

The initiative, to be launched on October 13 in Kawala Health Centre in Kampala, will also help the mothers get free education on maternal health, malaria testing as well as HIV testing and counselling.

“I do not believe any mother should die while giving birth,” said Julius Kakeeto, the managing director of Orient Bank. Kakeeto was speaking to senior officials from both companies during the launch of the partnership at the bank’s offices in Kololo on Wednesday.

He said it was a call to give back to society and to make a difference in the lives of the less privileged mothers, adding that antenatal health is key in the reduction of maternal mortality.

Research findings published in 2012 show that 438 mothers out of 100,000 die while giving birth and that one out of 10 children die at birth. Antenatal care coverage stands at 46.7%.

There is worry among development partners that Uganda may not achieve the Millennium Development Goal on maternal mortality by the 2015 deadline.

Representing Vision Group at the signing ceremony, the company’s chief operations officer, Gervase Ndyanabo, said all the causes of maternal mortality are preventable if detected early.

He said the company was happy to associate with such a cause because it touches the lives of mothers. “Mothers dying in child birth is very painful and does not happen only in villages but in town too. We shall give it all our support,”

Ndyanabo said. Barbara Arimi, the head of marketing at the bank, said the partnership would last three years.