Related Experiment Videos
The FIGO Save the Mothers Initiative: the Uganda-Canada collaboration
A B Lalonde1, P Okong, A Mugasa
1Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, Ontario, Ottawa, Canada.
Summary
A Ugandan-Canadian collaboration improved emergency obstetric care (EmOC) in rural Uganda. After 24 months, health worker capacity, transport, and met need for EmOC significantly increased.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Public Health Interventions
Background:
- Limited access to emergency obstetric care (EmOC) in rural Uganda poses significant maternal health risks.
- The FIGO Save the Mothers Initiative aimed to address these disparities through targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the collaborative experience of Ugandan and Canadian ob/gyn associations in implementing an EmOC intervention.
- To evaluate the impact of a district-wide intervention on EmOC availability and utilization.
Main Methods:
- A district-wide intervention was developed, implemented, and monitored over 24 months.
- The project involved collaboration between professional ob/gyn associations from Uganda and Canada.
- Evaluation focused on health professional capacity, emergency transportation, and met need for EmOC.
Main Results:
- Preliminary results show significant gains in health professionals' capacity to provide EmOC.
- Improved availability of emergency transportation services was observed.
- The met need for EmOC demonstrated important gains after the intervention.
Conclusions:
- Collaborative international initiatives can effectively enhance emergency obstetric care services.
- Sustained interventions can lead to measurable improvements in maternal healthcare capacity and access.
- The project highlights the importance of addressing multiple components of EmOC, including professional training and transport.