By Asenath Were ( photography by Andrew Bugembe)
“The solutions to increased maternal mortality are not only in the hands of healthcare workers but also in the collaborative efforts of every multidisciplinary professional,” said Dr.Charles Olaro, the director of curative services at the Ministry of Health, during the Save the Mothers (STM) East Africa 2024 Maternal and Child Health Conference.
The theme of the STM conference, which was held on April 26 at Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Nkoyoyo Hall was : “No mother or child should die or be harmed due to preventable childbirth-related complications: a role of multidisciplinary professionals.”
Olaro applauded the multidisciplinary professionals at Save the Mothers for their dedication to the cause of saving the lives of mothers and babies. He said, “Your dedicated work shows the transformational power of collective actions, resilience, innovations, and implementing impactful interventions that save the lives of mothers and babies.
He noted that the government is investing in Health Center 3s in each district to function as mini hospitals with at least two midwives each to address the causes of increased maternal mortality in Uganda. Obstetric hemorrhage, preeclampsia, and sepsis are a few of these causes.
Jean Chamberlain Froese, one of the founders of Save the Mothers, encouraged the multidisciplinary team to assess their skills, gifts, and potential to save mothers and ensure safe motherhood for children in East Africa and beyond.
“One thing that stands out for me is working with others,” she remarked recollecting the early days when she worked with Drs. Pius, Florence, and Olive, ” a group of us getting together, seeing the need, cooperating, and having hope and faith. We believed that God would assist us, and now, 19 years later, we are witnessing what the Lord has accomplished.”
The Save the Mothers (STM) programme has been a blessing in disguise to the East African community in reducing the high rate of maternal mortality through not only skilling but also offering a Master of Public Health Leadership (MPHL) programme to working professionals from a wide range of disciplines. The MPHL is hosted at UCU.
Janet Apio, an alumni member of the 2016 class, says it was through the skills and knowledge she acquired at STM that she was able to open the three projects in Bugiri district after realizing the need in her community to solve the problem of maternal mortality.
“I started three projects as interventions to solve maternal mortality deaths, including antenatal, postnatal, and general nursing care to help mothers during deliveries,” she said.
Launched in 2005 the Save the Mothers programme has seen a significant reduction in the maternal motility rates from 336 to 189 per 1000 live births, as well as the newborn mortality rate, which has reduced from 27 to 22 per 1000 live births in Uganda according to Dr. Charles Olaro.
