Mother and Child Care

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 287,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2020. Nearly 95% of all maternal deaths occurred in low- and lower-middle-income countries that year, with most being preventable. Maternal mortality in Uganda remains unacceptably high, UNICEF estimates that 4.9 million children under five years of age died in 2022, translating to approximately 13,400 children under the age of 5 dying every day.

The lack of universal access to proven, low-cost, high-impact interventions, particularly for underserved and rural populations, remains a significant reason for Uganda’s high maternal death rates. Antenatal care (ANC) is crucial for the early detection and treatment of pregnancy-related complications. However, the completion of recommended ANC visits remains suboptimal, especially among rural women. In Uganda, only 59.9% of expectant mothers attend four or more ANC visits, with some rural regions reporting completion rates as low as 58%, leaving up to 42% of pregnant women without adequate care. WHO estimates that poor reproductive health accounts for up to 18% of the global disease burden and 32% of the total disease burden among women of reproductive age.

These disturbing statistics are caused largely by preventable conditions; according to the Ministry of Health of Uganda (MOH, 2016), drivers of maternal deaths are hemorrhage (42%), obstructed labor (22%), unsafe abortion (11%), pre-eclampsia (12%), and sepsis (12%).

One of the underlying causes of this situation is the lack of access to key interventions for improving reproductive health, such as family planning. Family planning has been proven to empower women and save lives. It can also reduce poverty, slow population growth, and ease environmental pressures. Yet, family planning services often fail to reach those who need them most, including the poor, residents of remote areas, and people living in urban slums.

Improving access to comprehensive reproductive health services in rural communities is essential for ensuring the overall well-being of individuals and communities. Addressing the unique challenges faced by rural populations, such as limited healthcare facilities, insufficient awareness, and cultural stigmas is critical. At Remote Health Impact, we are employing new approaches alongside proven strategies to to ensure family planning services remain accessible, even in the most challenging circumstances.