KAMPALA – The Ministry of Health, in partnership with Bulamu Healthcare International and District Local Governments, has flagged off neonatal care equipment worth UGX 887.3 million to seven health facilities across Uganda.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The equipment complements approximately UGX 200 million already invested in refurbishing neonatal care spaces and training health workers, bringing the total investment to about UGX 1.087 billion.
The support will strengthen neonatal services at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Pallisa Hospital, Kibuku HC IV, Butebo HC IV, Atiak HC IV, Kibito HC IV, and Otwee HC III, bringing lifesaving care closer to sick, small, and preterm newborns and reducing the burden of long-distance referrals.
The consignment covers 24 distinct categories of essential equipment, including 15 Vayu CPAP machines, 30 patient monitors, 15 neonatal radiant warmers, and 10 infant incubators for newborn care.
The package also includes 20 infusion pumps, 20 syringe pumps, 9 phototherapy units, 9 ten-litre oxygen concentrators, and 18 rechargeable pulse oximeters to support fragile newborns.
The package is completed by 1,000 Kangaroo Mother Care wraps and 30 KMC chairs, while the CPAP machines deliver non-invasive respiratory support to newborns with breathing difficulties, helping keep their airways and lungs open.
Ministry of Health data shows Uganda’s neonatal mortality rate has stagnated at 22 deaths per 1,000 live births, roughly six times higher than the 3.6 per 1,000 reported by the United States in 2024.
Preciding over the Handover Director General of Health Services Prof. Charles Olaro said the government aims to cut the neonatal mortality rate from 22 to at least 12 per 1,000 live births, especially for babies who face difficulties at birth.
He noted that while maternal mortality has fallen by 45 percent, neonatal mortality has dropped by less than 15 percent, and stressed the need to find out why and to make newborn care services truly work.
“We have achieved a 45 percent reduction in maternal mortality, but the reduction in neonatal mortality is less than 15 percent. We need to find out why. We are trying to support these babies, especially those who face difficulties at birth,” Olaro said.
Richard Businge, Bulamu Healthcare’s Maternal and Child Health Programme Director, noted that many health facilities in underserved areas lack the functional capacity to provide newborn care, or have none at all.
He confirmed that the challenge forces many mothers with sick or preterm newborns to travel long distances in search of specialised services, a burden the new equipment is designed to ease.
“In many underserved areas, health facilities either lack the capacity to care for newborns or have no newborn services at all. As a result, mothers with sick or preterm babies are forced to travel long distances to find specialised care. This new equipment will help bring those life-saving services closer to them,” Businge noted.
Businge cited Otwee HC III as a stark example of the problem, noting that the facility sits more than 80 kilometres from the nearest newborn care point, posing a major barrier to timely treatment for fragile newborns.
The handover marks the project’s transition from space refurbishment and staff training into equipment deployment, and is expected to significantly shorten the distance families in remote areas travel to seek specialised newborn care.
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