The Makerere University MNCH Centre team hosted the ELMA Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) partners meeting on March 13, 2025, to strengthen collaboration and fast-track progress under the Uganda Newborn Programme (UNP). Funded by ELMA Philanthropies, the programme involves a consortium of four partners – Makerere University School of Public Health, Baylor Uganda, Adara Uganda, and Nsambya Hospital working with the Ministry of Health to reduce neonatal mortality by 40% in 20 districts across Western, Kampala, and North-Central Uganda.
Meeting Highlights
In the meeting, Adara Uganda presented about the Hospital to Home Model. This model strengthens care for small and sick newborns and ensures that the baby who survives in the hospital also thrives at home. The team also cited improvements in exclusive breastfeeding (6.6% to 42%) and higher vaccination completion rates (76.9% to 88.5%) as part of programme impact. In terms of evidence based work, the team revealed that Adara has been able to publish the outcomes of a paper entitled, “Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of high-risk infants in a rural setting in north central Uganda.”
Baylor Uganda shared insights on how they are working to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in Mid-Western Uganda, focused on improving newborn care.
RIB Project led by Dr. Victoria Nakibuuka shared the work it’s doing to improve neonatal outcomes, including progress of the Human Milk Bank in facilities including Nsambya Hospital, Mengo Hospital, and Lubaga Hospital.
Prof. Peter Waiswa of Makerere University MNCH Centre team emphasized the need for a network of care to ensure seamless patient referrals and continuity of care.
To crown off the day, the MNCH Centre distriuted the Situational Analysis of the National Newborn Care Health in Uganda book which has recommendations to improve newborn survival within the continuum of care, by time period and different levels of service delivery in Uganda, involving the family and community, district level, and national stakeholders.