The Maternal and child health is key to ensure that all women and children have a healthy life.

Globally, 2.6 million newborns and 2.6 million stillbirth occur annually, under 5 mortality rate globally has decreased since 1990 with 46% of 5 mortality rate is due to neonatal mortality and eight out of ten of countries with highest mortality rates are in Africa according to Lawn et al 2008, Mbonye et al 2012, and UNICEF 2018.

A study found that Uganda registered a decline in maternal mortality rate, a review of emergency obstetric care facilities showed that in 54 districts out of 56 throughout the country, over 97

Percent of facilities expected to provide basic emergency services was not able to do so. Lack of running water, electricity, and functioning operating theatres were among the key impediments to service delivery. Further majority of women in the rural parts of Uganda lack health literacy and in turn seek care in more traditional or homeopathic ways.

Reviews by the government are urgently required to ensure that existing facilities are upgraded and new ones are established in a sustainable manner; Funding for medical supplies, including essential medicines, is a further priority.

Uganda specific mortality rate

Main causes of neonatal deaths

• Preterm
• Intrapartum complication
• Neonatal infections

Trends in Maternal  and child Health Uganda

Causes of maternal death

Reasons most pregnant women in Uganda get limited Healthcare services

Challenges in Improving Maternal Newborn Care

• Knowledge do gap-Policy to implementation
• Inadequate Financing -Accountability
• Inadequate lifesaving commodities
• Inadequate human resources- Numbers, Skill, quality of Care
• Poor geographical accessibility- Coverage
• Poor utilization of existing interventions
• Data Management. Monitoring and Evaluation

What the government of Uganda is doing to reduce Maternal Deaths.

• Sector-wide approach
• Concentrate at time of birth, immediate post-delivery and care of preterm and small for dates
• Universal Coverage
• Quality of care at Facilities
• Strengthen Health system
• Community integration of services
• Leadership /accountability /Context