PURPOSE: We conducted a survey to determine availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) and to provide data for advocating for improved maternal and newborn health in Uganda. METHODS: The survey, covering 54 districts and 553 health facilities, assessed availability of EmOC signal functions, documented maternal deaths and the related causes. Three levels of health facilities were covered. FINDINGS: Few health units had running water; electricity or a functional operating theater. Yet having these items had a protective effect on maternal deaths as follows: theater (OR 0.56, P<0.0001); electricity (OR 0.39, P<0.0001); laboratory (OR 0.71, P<0.0001) and staffing levels (midwives) OR 0.20, P<0.0001. The availability of midwives had the highest protective effect on maternal deaths, reducing the case fatality rate by 80%. Further, most (97.2%) health facilities expected to offer basic EmOC, were not doing so. This is the likely explanation for the high health facility-based maternal death rate of 671/100,000 live births in Uganda. CONCLUSION: Addressing health system issues, especially human resources, and increasingaccess to EmOC could reduce maternal mortality in Uganda and enable the country to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG).
PURPOSE: We conducted a survey to determine availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) and to provide data for advocating for improved maternal and newborn health in Uganda. METHODS: The survey, covering 54 districts and 553 health facilities, assessed availability of EmOC signal functions, documented maternal deaths and the related causes. Three levels of health facilities were covered. FINDINGS: Few health units had running water; electricity or a functional operating theater. Yet having these items had a protective effect on maternal deaths as follows: theater (OR 0.56, P<0.0001); electricity (OR 0.39, P<0.0001); laboratory (OR 0.71, P<0.0001) and staffing levels (midwives) OR 0.20, P<0.0001. The availability of midwives had the highest protective effect on maternal deaths, reducing the case fatality rate by 80%. Further, most (97.2%) health facilities expected to offer basic EmOC, were not doing so. This is the likely explanation for the high health facility-based maternal death rate of 671/100,000 live births in Uganda. CONCLUSION: Addressing health system issues, especially human resources, and increasingaccess to EmOC could reduce maternal mortality in Uganda and enable the country to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG).
Authors: Isabeau A Walker; Apunyo D Obua; Falan Mouton; Steven Ttendo; Iain H Wilson Journal: Bull World Health Organ Date: 2010-06-07 Impact factor: 9.408
Authors: Joseph B Babigumira; Andy Stergachis; David L Veenstra; Jacqueline S Gardner; Joseph Ngonzi; Peter Mukasa-Kivunike; Louis P Garrison Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2011-12-06 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: A A C van Tetering; A van Meurs; P Ntuyo; M B van der Hout-van der Jagt; L G M Mulders; B Nolens; I Namagambe; A Nakimuli; J Byamugisha; S G Oei Journal: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth Date: 2020-07-28 Impact factor: 3.007
Authors: Charles Opondo; Stephen Ntoburi; John Wagai; Jackline Wafula; Aggrey Wasunna; Fred Were; Annah Wamae; Santau Migiro; Grace Irimu; Mike English Journal: Trop Med Int Health Date: 2009-08-19 Impact factor: 2.622