The death of a woman from complications during pregnancy or childbirth continues to be a serious global health challenge and a sentinel indicator of how well a health system is functioning. Saving Mothers, Giving Life is an ambitious five-year public-private partnership to rapidly reduce maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, where many of these deaths occur. As this report indicates, an intensive effort to strengthen health services in countries facing high levels of maternal mortality and HIV can produce impressive results in saving women’s lives.
Beginning in four districts each in Uganda and Zambia, Saving Mothers successfully built upon existing maternal and child health programs, as well as HIV programs supported by PEPFAR, and integrated these services during its 12-month proof-of-concept phase. In close alignment with both governments’ national health plans, Saving Mothers has put in place life-saving interventions that are making high quality, safe childbirth services available and accessible to women and their newborns.
Saving Mothers addressed the shortage of health workers by hiring doctors and midwives to accelerate access to services. Uganda’s Ministry of Health incorporated many of these newly hired health staff as regular personnel with the adoption of a wage bill that improved salary and living conditions. This, combined with significant health facility investments, including renovating 11 facilities with operating theaters to perform Cesarean sections, delivered notable quality of care improvements.
St. John’s Hospital Kyenjojo (then called Midas Touch Medical Services) has a record of successfully implementing reproductive health projects. From 2011 to 2015 the hospital implemented a district wide maternal health project in Kyenjojo district under MSH/STRIDES-USAID –Saving Mothers Giving Life Project which increased Antenatal attendance from 33.6% to 77.2% and deliveries in health facilities from 19.6% to 51.2%. For this work the health facility was recognized by Ministry of Health, CDC and USAID and Dr. Mwinganiza was recognized as a Maternal Health Champion by USAID and Ministry of Health in 2014.
