With about 15 women dying daily due to pregnancy complications or at childbirth in Uganda. Where, all most all these deaths are coming from rural Uganda.

Health Center IIIs and IVs, the primary facilities for pregnant women, often lack essential resources like ultrasound machines, trained technicians, and adequate medical supplies, severely hindering the early detection and management of pregnancy complications.

Midwives working in rural Uganda recount harrowing experiences: “Receiving mothers in dire situations where they discover too late about underlying complications.” Emergencies here are always time-critical, and every moment counts because the babies won’t wait. Any delay is a fatal result.”

The WHO recommends an ultrasound scan within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy and again in the third trimester to detect fetal abnormalities, multiple pregnancies, and complications, providing crucial information for managing pregnancy risks. In wealthier countries, these scans are routine, offering vital information to expectant parents and healthcare professionals. Conversely, in rural Uganda, such scans are incidental, often accessible typically when a complication arises and only after lengthy journeys averaging 30 kilometers.

This situation creates significant barriers to timely and effective maternal healthcare for approximately 34.8 million women living in rural Uganda. It frequently results in late-stage detection of complications, thereby increasing the risk of adverse outcomes for both mothers and their unborn babies.