Rotary District 9213, through Mama Toto Care a Rotary Clubs of Uganda programme coordinating the implementation of the Rotary Global Grant Empowering Families, Growing Futures together with the Ministry of Health and technical training partners Bulamu Healthcare, has commenced the first phase of specialized Comprehensive Newborn Care training for health workers aimed at strengthening maternal and newborn healthcare services in Uganda.
The current phase targets 16 midwives drawn from nine districts across the country, who are undergoing the training at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya.
The programme forms part of a broader national effort to improve the quality of maternal and newborn healthcare services and reduce preventable maternal and infant deaths.
According to programme coordinators, each trained health worker represents an investment of approximately Shs6 million, highlighting the project’s commitment to building sustainable clinical capacity within Uganda’s healthcare system.
The Empowering Families, Growing Futures project is funded through a USD 551,000 grant from The Rotary Foundation and is being implemented across 31 high-volume health facilities in 14 districts across Uganda.
The beneficiary facilities include,16 Health Centre IVs,15 Health Centre IIIs
For the current cohort, the Ministry of Health worked closely with District Health Offices, with support from Rotarians, to identify health workers who will remain within their districts and support peer learning, mentorship, and knowledge sharing among fellow frontline workers after completing the training.
Project implementers noted that while this marks the first phase of beneficiaries under the programme, preparations are already underway for additional cohorts from the remaining beneficiary facilities to undertake similar trainings at other designated centres across the country.
In addition to Comprehensive Newborn Care, the project will also support clinical mentorships and World Health Organization-recommended trainings, including:Essential Newborn Care (ENC),Helping Mothers Survive (HMS)
The trainings are expected to equip frontline health workers with evidence-based, life-saving skills necessary to reduce preventable maternal and newborn mortality.
The initiative is jointly being implemented by 45 Rotary clubs from Rotary Districts 9213 and 9214, with additional support from Rotary districts in the United States and Taiwan, reflecting a strong international partnership focused on improving maternal and child health outcomes in Uganda.
Partners say the investment in health worker capacity strengthening demonstrates a shared commitment to ensuring that mothers and newborns receive quality healthcare services, especially in underserved communities.
Speaking on behalf of the programme, Dr. Richard Kalungi, Program Manager for Mama Toto Care Uganda, said the initiative seeks to strengthen Uganda’s maternal and newborn healthcare systems through sustainable skills development and collaboration with government health institutions.
Through the project, stakeholders hope to improve survival outcomes for mothers and newborns while strengthening the quality of healthcare delivery at lower-level health facilities across the country.
