KAMPALA: UNFPA in partnership with the Kingdom of Netherlands handed over equipment to the Ministry of Health to support maternal Health services in West Nile and Acholi Sub regions. The event took place at the Ministry of Health Headquarters in Kampala on March 3.
The occasion marked another stride in ensuring the provision of quality care for the ones that need it most - especially the women and young people - without exception to strengthen maternal and newborn services.
With funding from the Netherlands Embassy in Uganda partnership with UNFPA Supplies partnership project, the equipment worth USD 80,000 (296 Million Uganda shillings) is expected to address some of the equipment needs as well as improving the quality of care in labor and delivery of mothers.
The items donated included Delivery beds, Sterilization drums, Oxygen Concentrators, Fetal Dopplers, BP machines, Pulse-oximeters, Ambulance bags for resuscitation, delivery sets and Obstetric surgery kits. A total of 200,000 stock cards worth USD 20,000 (73 million Ugandan shillings) were also handed over to bridge the existing gaps in the inventory management practices being utilized by over 900 health facilities.
In her remarks, UNFPA country Representative Dr. Mary Otieno commended the Ministry of Health for providing much-needed leadership for health care across the country.
“In a very recent report released on Global trends in maternal mortality 2000-2020 - estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and UNDESA/Population Division-, indicated that Uganda had made significant progress of 15 percent reduction in maternal mortality from 336 to 284 deaths per 100,000 births in 5 years. These results are a testament to the ministry’s leadership in this area,” Dr. Otieno said.
The Representative said UNFPA is fully committed to taking on the daring challenge to achieve the three transformative goals of ending preventable maternal deaths: ending the unmet need for family planning and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices.
For instance, with funding from different donors and in particular the Netherlands Embassy, Dr. Otieno said, UNFPA has been supporting a health system strengthening programme in over 200 health facilities in the West Nile and Acholi sub-regions, a programme which started in 2020 and will be ending in September 2023.
Minister of State (General Duties) Hon Kawooya thanked UNFPA for the continued support in ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted, and every childbirth is safe in an effort to achieve the sustainable development goals.
“I would like to urge everyone to continue working together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the remaining seven years to ensure Universal health coverage and quality health care for all,” Hon kawooya said.
- Written by Emmanet Nabwire
