With 1 in 15 women dying daily due to pregnancy complications or childbirth in Uganda, the majority of these deaths occur in rural areas.

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

Midwives working in rural Uganda recount harrowing experiences: “We receive mothers in dire situations, discovering too late about underlying complications. Emergencies here are always time-critical, and every moment counts because the babies won’t wait. Any delay results in fatalities.”

The WHO recommends at least two ultrasound scans during pregnancy: one within the first 24 weeks to detect fetal abnormalities, multiple pregnancies, and complications, and another in the third trimester to monitor the pregnancy’s progress. These scans are routine in wealthier countries, providing critical information to expectant parents and healthcare professionals. Conversely, in rural Uganda, such scans are rare and often only accessible when complications arise, after arduous journeys averaging 30 kilometers.

This situation creates significant barriers to timely and effective maternal healthcare for approximately 12.8 million women living in rural Uganda. It frequently results in the late detection of complications, increasing the risk of adverse outcomes for both mothers and their unborn babies.