tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70297681212539858122024-03-05T02:21:04.085-08:00Contribution Towards Improving Maternal and Newborn Health in UgandaA platform for White Ribbon Alliance Uganda (WRA-Uganda) members to share maternal and Newborn health issues which provoke discussion and action.WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-2845063040405269962015-04-15T17:40:00.001-07:002015-04-15T17:40:44.439-07:00Health Minister Reassures Medical Workers of Improved Welfare<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tC3C6G0I9nI/VS8C4j-tc7I/AAAAAAAAGLA/ZcKTSn1yrko/s1600/chris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tC3C6G0I9nI/VS8C4j-tc7I/AAAAAAAAGLA/ZcKTSn1yrko/s1600/chris.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Minister of Health-General Duties <span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Hon Dr Chris Baryomunsi (on podium) </span><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">addressing members of White Ribbon Alliance Uganda during the Annual General Members' Meeting at Statistics House, Kampala</span></td></tr>
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<b><i>By Njaleruma Kigozi,</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Citizen Journalist, </i></b></div>
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<b><i>The White Ribbon Alliance Uganda</i></b></div>
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<b><i>Buikwe District</i><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="http://health.go.ug/">State Minister for Health
General Duties</a>, <a href="http://www.parliament.go.ug/mpdata/mps.hei?p=fn=tprev=ti=200&n=t&details=t&j=358&const=Kinkiizi+County+East&dist_id=65&distname=Kanungu">Dr.
Chris Baryomunsi</a> reaffirmed the Uganda Government’s commitment to
improve the welfare of medical workers in the country. </div>
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Baryomunsi was addressing members of White Ribbon Alliance
Uganda (WRA- Ug)—a non government organization, advocating for safe motherhood and
a nation free of newborns deaths, at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Statistics
House in Kampala on Friday 27<sup>th</sup> March, 2015.</div>
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Baryomunsi, who was the Guest of Honour at the event, said
that an increase in negligence of duty and carelessness by medical workers in
government health centers and hospitals across the country has been identified
as a major cause of loss of lives, mostly of pregnant mothers and newborns
during pregnancy and birth.</div>
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He said that such a situation has been blamed on the usual
complaints that medical workers in the country get little pay and a raw deal
from the central government that employs them, compared to their counterparts
in other countries where their services are equally needed. “They can only be held responsible in terms of service
delivery to the pregnant mothers and other citizens in the country only when
the people who handle life at our health centers enjoy a better pay and a
competitive welfare” he added.</div>
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Knowing very well that childbirth is still a death trap in
Uganda, claiming the lives of 17 women and 106 newborns every day, the Minister
said that the problem can only be partly tackled by improving the welfare of
government workers, including medical workers, and that they are prepared to fulfill
this obligation.</div>
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Baryomunsi also revealed that his ministry was in preparation
to send senior officials to health centers around the country to reassure
medical workers that the central government has big plans in store for them,
particularly in improving their working conditions. This is aimed at changing
their attitude towards work.</div>
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The White Ribbon Alliance Board of Directors Chairperson Mr.
Obed Kabanda told the gathering that WRA-Ug has dedicated a dynamic advocacy
campaign, “Act Now to Save Mothers,” to hold the government accountable to its
commitment to ensure that women have access to life-saving care.</div>
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He emphasized the need for the central government to provide
Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC).
“Take this as a priority intervention to reduce maternal and newborns
deaths in Uganda,” Kabanda said. </div>
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<a href="http://liradistrict.com/">Lira District</a> Woman Member
of Parliament, <a href="http://www.parliament.go.ug/mpdata/mps.hei?p=f&n=t&details=t&j=588.000000&const=Woman+Representative&dist_id=42.000000&distname=Lira">Hon.
Joy Atim Ongom</a>, who also attended the AGM, strongly attacked men in her
area of jurisdiction who spend money and time in bars drinking alcohol, whilst
women they make pregnant are languishing with the pregnancies in their
households with little or no financial help and care. She called them
irresponsible husbands.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lnLunyvHbQI/VS8EGFwXO1I/AAAAAAAAGLM/1RGF33p_jMI/s1600/joy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lnLunyvHbQI/VS8EGFwXO1I/AAAAAAAAGLM/1RGF33p_jMI/s1600/joy.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-R: Lira District Woman MP-Hon Joy Atim Ongom, Hon Dr Chris Baryomunsi-Minister of Health (General Duties) and Mr. Obed Kabanda-Chairperson BoD White Ribbon Alliance Uganda</td></tr>
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“Some men in Lira, like in any other district in Uganda, not
only neglect their pregnant wives during pregnancy and at the time of delivery
but go on to mount them forcefully at night for sex even when they are not in
the mood,” Hon. Atim said and added that such occurrences add salt to the
already dangerous wound/ situations pregnant mothers are going through. She
called on men to be responsible and take lead in saving the lives of women they
impregnate.</div>
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Ms Robinah Biteyi, the National Coordinator WRA-Ug reminded
the gathering that women and newborns die from preventable and treatable
complications that include, severe breeding (heamorrhage), infection (sepsis), eclampsia
(high blood pressure), obstructed labor, unsafe abortions and asphyxias. She
added that the causes are worsened by lack of or inadequate emergency obstetric
and newborns care equipment/device, medicine and health supplies, skilled
staff, especially with midwifery skills and resources necessary to provide
quality life saving care in order to reduce maternal and newborn mortality.</div>
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“Those are the things the government can provide in time
without being hoaxed or pressurized if our mothers and newborns can see light
even for another day,” Biteyi said.</div>
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She suggested that the government should ensure that there
are more health centre IIIs and IVs providing Emergency Obstetric and Newborn
Care (EmONC) and more health center IIIs and IVs with adequate medicine, health
supplies, equipment and skilled staff to provide EmONC services. She added that
community members should demand EMONC at HC IIIs and IVs, more women should be delivering
at health centers and that there should strong linkages between the formal
health system and the community. Biteyi said the government should involve
citizens in setting their health priorities.</div>
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In her closing remarks, the Woman Member of Parliament for <a href="http://www.kabale.go.ug/">Kabale District</a> <a href="http://www.parliament.go.ug/mpdata/mps.hei?p=f&n=t&details=t&j=718.000000&const=Woman+Representative&dist_id=55.000000&distname=Kabale">Hon.
Rhona Ninsiima</a> reminded the people of Uganda to hold the government
accountable to its commitment to ensure that women have access to life saving care.
She called on citizens to always sign petitions asking on their members of Parliament,
district and sub county leaders to allocate sufficient funds to provide medicines,
health supplies, equipment and skilled staff to save the lives of pregnant
women and newborns at their local health centers.</div>
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The participants at the AGM asked the government to provide
a motivation package for health workers and to functionalize operating theatres
by allocating sufficient funds to renovate and equip them.</div>
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<b><i>Email: communityhealthinitiativeprogram@yahoo.com<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-9805275597418719262015-03-26T02:43:00.001-07:002015-03-26T02:45:12.873-07:00Shs225 million needed for resuscitation machines<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndo0We04AXc/VROuTMmdVCI/AAAAAAAAFhU/bwh29-34fTk/s1600/news006%2Bpix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndo0We04AXc/VROuTMmdVCI/AAAAAAAAFhU/bwh29-34fTk/s1600/news006%2Bpix.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.8108053207397px; line-height: 16.2162075042725px; text-align: left;">A set of the device contains an ambu bag (neonatal bag) and mask used to blow air into the lungs; suction bulb for sucking out the mucus and a training mannequin to be used to train health workers on the procedure</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9.60960483551025px; font-weight: bold;">By Sandra Janet Birungi</span></div>
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Posted Thursday, March 26 2015 at 02:00</div>
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<strong style="font-size: 14.4187316894531px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kampala.</strong><span style="font-size: 14.4172897338867px; line-height: 1.5em;"> A total of Shs225m is needed to buy resuscitation devices used to suck out mucus from lungs in newborn babies to enable them breathe and survive thereafter.</span></div>
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The failure to breathe at birth, known as birth asphyxia, is one of the leading causes of child mortality and can be prevented by use of resuscitation devices. The device costs about Shs300,000, according to Mr Moses Kamabare, the executive director of National Medical Stores (NMS).<br />
“If we are to go by the 2013 study conducted by White Ribbon Alliance in the districts of Lira, Mityana and Kabale, on average, 20 machines are needed per district. With 112 districts, we would need 750 machines; and with each machine costing about Shs300,000, we would need Shs225m to buy them, which is not expensive,” he said.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.4172897338867px;">Dr Jesca Nsungwa Sabiiti says one in every 10 children born needs resuscitation at birth, accounting for 106 deaths every year or 26 per cent of the neonatal deaths in the country. She adds that if these deaths are not addressed, child mortality will not be reduced.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.4172897338867px;">“Most deaths in children are preventable and one of the ways of preventing them is through the use of these devices; they should be distributed to health centres together with the drugs from NMS. But for them to be made available, districts have to request for them such that the ministry can undertake the exercise to purchase and distribute them countrywide, he said adding: “It is also important to purchase the right devices which can easily be used at the health centers.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.4172897338867px;">To ensure that health centre IIIs and IVs across the country get these devices, Dr Anthony Mbonye, the commissioner for community health services at the Ministry of Health issued a directive to NMS to include the purchase of the devices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.4172897338867px;">Ms Robina Riteyi, the national coordinator of White Ribbon Alliance, said this will be a more sustainable form of ensuring they are available for use at the different health centres.</span></div>
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<em style="font-size: 14.4187316894531px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">jbirungi@ug.nationmedia.com</em></div>
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<em style="font-size: 14.4187316894531px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-million--needed-resuscitation-machines/-/688334/2665536/-/uihcsoz/-/index.html</em></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The General Manager National Medical Stores Moses Kamabare chats with Commission Clinical Services Dr Jacinto Amandua after the policy feedback meeting at Mackinnon Suites</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">L-R: WRA-Ug National Coordinator Robina Biteyi, AMREF Project Coordinator on UN Life Saving Commodities Dr. Stephen Ayella and Asst Commissioner MoH Dr Jesca Nsungwa during a policy feedback meeting organized by White Ribbon Alliance at Mackinnon Suites</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">White Ribbon Alliance Senfuka Samuel consulting National Medical Stores Board Member Ms Sarah Nyombi (R) and The General Manager Mr Moses Kamabare at the meeting </span></td></tr>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-51864735504101282322015-02-18T07:56:00.003-08:002015-02-18T07:56:47.383-08:00Members Decry Poor Medical Services in Lira<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>MPs, Chief Administrative Officer Lira District and WRA Lira members in maternity ward at one of the health centres visited </b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Source: Parliament of Uganda Website-</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> <a href="http://www.parliament.go.ug/new/index.php/about-parliament/parliamentary-news/534-members-decry-poor-medical-services-in-lira">http://www.parliament.go.ug/new/index.php/about-parliament/parliamentary-news/534-members-decry-poor-medical-services-in-lira</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Members on the Parliament Committee on Health were shocked when they realized that all the theaters in health center III and IVs in Lira district are dilapidated and non-functional. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">This was during the committee’s fact finding field visit to Lira health facilities following a petition to Parliament on the low status of life-saving emergency services for pregnant women and newborns by the community of Lira district. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The petition was laid on table by Lira district woman Member of Parliament Hon. Joy Atim Ongom on 15th July 2014.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The committee was amazed to discover that the accommodation facilities at the health centre III and IVs were abandoned and no single health worker was present at Anyangatir and Barapwo Health Centre III. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Lira District Health Officer Dr. Kusolo Peter noted that as a result, patients prefer to go to Lira Regional Referral Hospital which has led to over congestion in the hospital especially the labor ward. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Hon. Lematia Ruth who is the Vice Chairperson of the Parliament Health Committee noted that Uganda can prevent maternal and newly born deaths by ensuring that women have immediate access to basic and comprehensive life-saving emergency services in the health Centers. She stressed that 99 percent of all maternal deaths are preventable since the causes are known. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">She added that the continuous death of women and their newborns is a sad reminder that Uganda not doing enough to prevent the death of women during pregnancy and childbirth.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Lira district woman Member of Parliament Hon. Joy Atim Ongom who is also a member of the committee noted that government has to ensure that enough funds are budgeted to improve on the infrastructure and employ qualified health workers in all health centres. She urged women, husbands, families and the community, to involve themselves in maternal health issues so that women feel safe while giving birth to life.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWVfICiSMksW5n4z_xr-rKMcS3GHdyR2V2XuXSGlKM5xtnZUIWsLLPQ_PeNlc7aG-8La_OWcZ8M7fXT599cLIP7xVGw5CMM8SRTapW_mcJJmHkTy4ZGG2D4w9XbU_xhC3me2QelbnvYM/s1600/IMG_5903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWVfICiSMksW5n4z_xr-rKMcS3GHdyR2V2XuXSGlKM5xtnZUIWsLLPQ_PeNlc7aG-8La_OWcZ8M7fXT599cLIP7xVGw5CMM8SRTapW_mcJJmHkTy4ZGG2D4w9XbU_xhC3me2QelbnvYM/s1600/IMG_5903.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Hon. Dr Twa-twa Jeremiah holding and checking a maternity register joined by other MPs and WRA Lira Chairperson (in navy blue midwifery/nursing uniform) at Ogur health centre IV. Photo by Denis Okwir-WRA-Ug Trained Citizen Journalist</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-14478298566053158472015-02-10T00:41:00.000-08:002015-02-10T00:41:19.298-08:00Graft claims hit Uganda medic export scheme<div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10.8118858337402px; line-height: 16.2178287506104px;">Medical staff at the Butabika National Referral Hospital in Uganda. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold;">By Julius Barigaba</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.4187307357788px; line-height: 1.5em;">Even as Ugandans await a ruling on the temporary injunction to stop the government exporting over 250 health workers to Trinidad and Tobago, it has emerged that the recruitment was riddled with corruption.</span></div>
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Amid reports that unqualified people paid up to Ush7 million ($2,456) to be shortlisted, Kampala became wary of a backlash from the Trinidad and Tobago government. It placed advertisements in the media to isolate people cited in bribery claims ahead of a thorough screening of the shortlisted workers.</div>
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Last August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shortlisted 450 doctors, nurses and midwives drawn mainly from public health institutions to be exported to Trinidad and Tobago on three-year contracts. Sources say officials from the Caribbean island nation will travel to Kampala “anytime soon” to help with the selection of the final 263 health workers who have the required skills. </div>
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READ: <a href="http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Uganda-AG-sued-over-medical-worker-exports-to-Trinidad/-/2558/2539604/-/j0x7vb/-/index.html" style="color: #0091b9; font-size: 14.4201736450195px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Plan to export medical staff to Trinidad lands Uganda govt in court</a></div>
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A source familiar with the recruitment told <em style="font-size: 14.4201736450195px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The EastAfrican </em>that, among this number, there are unqualified people who bribed their way into the shortlist. </div>
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“People who are not qualified doctors or health workers paid to get shortlisted,” the source claimed. “Are you surprised? This is Uganda.”</div>
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‘No bribery’</div>
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But Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Fred Opolot said if indeed the claims are true, the victims should come forward and name the perpetrators of the fraud.</div>
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“We ran adverts and said that people making these allegations should come to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the police and file official complaints but no one has come forward,” said Mr Opolot. “As far as we are concerned, we don’t know of any bribery in this exercise.”</div>
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In November last year, <em style="font-size: 14.4201736450195px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The EastAfrican</em> reported that the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) had sued the Attorney-General, seeking to block medical worker exports to the Caribbeans by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.</div>
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The High Court will rule on March 2 on the case, in which IRRP’s lawyer, Justinian Kateera, argues that “besides being contrary to public health policy it is also unethical, irrational and unconstitutional for Uganda to deny its own citizens the much-needed health workers.”</div>
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On February 5, a coalition of about 40 civil society organisations also issued a statement questioning the logic of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Health to export medics to a country whose health indicators and patient-to-health worker ratios are way higher than Uganda’s.</div>
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“The government should be ashamed,” said Sam Senfuka of White Ribbons Alliance Uganda. “They are supporting the export of our most prized resource — our health workers, who are in scarce supply in the health system.</div>
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“Export should only be considered if a country has a surplus; this is basic economics. We have thoroughly analysed this plan; it is wrong-headed and must be stopped.” </div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.4187307357788px; line-height: 21.6280956268311px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>SOURCE:</b></span><span style="color: #333333;"> The East African- </span></span><a href="http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Graft-claims-hit-Uganda-medic-export-scheme/-/2558/2615980/-/x8utqbz/-/index.html" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14.4187307357788px; line-height: 21.6280956268311px;">http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Graft-claims-hit-Uganda-medic-export-scheme/-/2558/2615980/-/x8utqbz/-/index.html</a></div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-22843761525898374802015-02-06T03:07:00.000-08:002015-02-06T06:23:54.889-08:00Civil society opposes health workers’ exportWRA Uganda's Robina Biteyi News Interview with Amuka na BBC. Full Swahili bulletin here <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/swahili/medianuai/2013/11/000010_amka_na_bbc">http://www.bbc.co.uk/swahili/medianuai/2013/11/000010_amka_na_bbc</a><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -0.001em; line-height: 1.4em;">By Alfred Wandera & Esther Bulyaba</strong><br />
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<span class="Fullstory_class" style="color: #414141; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -0.001em; line-height: 1.4em;"><strong><br />A coalition of civil society organisations has added its voice to the criticism against Government’s move to export about 300 health workers to Trinidad and Tobago.</strong></span><br />
<span class="Fullstory_class" style="color: #414141; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -0.001em; line-height: 1.4em;">Addressing a joint press conference Thursday in Ntinda at Action Group for Health Human Rights and HIV/AIDS (AGHA) offices, the health activists demanded that Government stops defying its own evidence and substantially increases investment in the health sector.</span><br />
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<span class="Fullstory_class" style="color: #414141; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: -0.001em; line-height: 1.4em;">The activists’ protestation comes barely a week after the Institute of Public Policy and Research (IPPR), a local think-tank, sued Government in what it says is one of the first ever public interest litigation cases concerning a medical "brain drain".</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">“Government should be ashamed. They are supporting the export of our most prized resource – our health workers – who are in scarce supply in the health system and are a national treasure,” said Sam Senfuka of White Ribbon Alliance Uganda in a joint press statement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">“Export should only be considered if a country has surplus; that is basic economics. We have thoroughly analyzed this plan and it is wrong headed and must be stopped,” added Senfuka.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">Joshua Wamboga, the Executive Director of Uganda Alliance of Patients Organization (UAPO), said the implementation of the plan would increase suffering and preventable death in Uganda especially among pregnant women, newborns, HIV victims, tuberculosis and malaria victims and other leading causes of preventable death. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">“Government should be increasing health workers’ remuneration, improving working conditions and increasing the wage bill so that our clinics are finally saturated with motivated health workers. Instead, our duty bearers are defying their own evidence and want to actively support health workers to leave. We will not allow this to happen,” said Wamboga.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">Wamboga explained that their preliminary analysis of the Government plan indicates that any remittance generated by health workers exported overseas would fail to compensate for the economic costs associated with catastrophic illness and increased rates of death.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union (UNMU) president, Janet Obuni, said Uganda has failed to live upto the Abuja Declaration’s call for African states to allocate 15% of their national budgets to the health sector, leaving the sector in a sorry state.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">“Uganda’s health budget is between 8 and 9% of the total national budget, which is way below the Abuja Declaration standard. We have a heavy disease burden but government is not investing in the health sector. Uganda’s current doctor to patient ratio is 1:15, 000; nurses to patient is 1:7, 000 and midwive to patient ratio is 1:9,000. This is against the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) required ratio of one doctor to 1500 patients, one nurse to 700 patients and one midwife to 1000 patients,” said Obuni.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">Claire Mugisha, AGHA Advocacy Programme Officer, said the current national estimate of the quantity of health workers stands at 40,67 nurses and midwives and 4, 449 doctors, serving a total population of 35 million Ugandans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">Joyce Lucy Atim, UNMU national treasurer, claimed that some of the people listed on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website are not qualified health workers, arguing that they were recruited following influence from their relatives and friends in the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr. Asuman Lukwago, said the reason why Government decided to use the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recruit health workers for export to Trinidad and Tobago is because it is foreign relations </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">affair.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">However, Lukwago said the Ministry of Health was involved in the selection process through the Health Service Commission.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">“Those questioning the credibility of the shortlisted health workers have no competence and authority to do so. They can only come out to speak about it after consulting us,” said Lukwago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">He added that the decision to export health workers is aimed at arresting the scenario where most of them have drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to cross to overseas in search for green pastures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.6666660308838px; letter-spacing: -0.0146666653454304px; line-height: 20.533332824707px;">“We don’t know how many health workers have died in the sea trying to cross to Europe and other developed countries. What government did was a formalization to make sure that things work out for them legally instead of them risking their lives,” said Lukwago. </span><br />
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-18824689661164943062015-02-05T13:07:00.002-08:002015-02-05T13:07:50.670-08:00Civil Society Demands Government of Uganda Halt Plan to Export Life Saving Health Workers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-19616754731917775752014-12-19T00:44:00.000-08:002014-12-19T00:44:23.252-08:00Walking for the Mother: Support for Maternal and Child Health Care<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>WRA members with their banner joined other citizens to walk for the mothers through the streets of Kanungu District Town. Photo by Cyprian Ntale</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;">Members of White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) for Safe Motherhood Uganda in Kanungu District participated in a charity walk dubbed "Walk for the Mother," to raise funds to support Rugyeyo Community Health Center in Kanungu District. The walk, which is part of the annual </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">International Community of Banyakigezi meeting slated on 27th-28th December 2014</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;">, began in Kampala on December 6th (1st walk) and later went to Kanungu District on December 13th 2014. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;">Kanungu D</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">istrict</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">in south west Uganda</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;">will host this year's meeting with participants coming from all the four districts which make up Kigezi region i.e. Kanungu, Rukungiri, Kabale and Kisoro.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.4444446563721px;">WRA members participated in both walks aimed at raising Shs 50 million. Professor Mondo </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-size: 14.4444446563721px;">Kagonyera and Rt Hon Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda who was represented by Hon. Chris Baryomunsi were the chief walkers in Kanungu and Kampala respectively. Among other guests were; Bank of Uganda Governor Tumusiime Mutebile, Hon. Jack Sabiiti, Hon. Roland Mugume Kaginda and Mr Garuga Musinguzi. About Shs 25 million was raised at both walks.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3pSg50rnxhc/VJPhmPkksCI/AAAAAAAAENE/V0mZNs1jKjM/s1600/ICOB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3pSg50rnxhc/VJPhmPkksCI/AAAAAAAAENE/V0mZNs1jKjM/s1600/ICOB.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Participants in the Walk for the Mother march in Kanungu to raise funds for a community health centre ahead of International Community of Banyakigezi Uganda chapter convention due on 27th December 2014 in Kanungu. Photo by Cyprian Ntale</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14.4444446563721px;">Under the Saving Lives at Birth Project, WRA-Ug works together with AMREF Health Africa in Uganda and We Care Solar to light up health facilities with solar power, raise awareness and create demand for maternal and newborn health services and strengthening the health system in Kanungu, Kisoro, Rukungiri and Kabale districts.</span></div>
</span></span>WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-79734740686558869212014-11-24T05:42:00.001-08:002014-11-24T05:43:58.170-08:00Public health facilities lack resuscitation devices, newborn deaths high- study<div class="author" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_divauthor" style="background-color: white; color: #707070; float: left; font-family: arial; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold; width: 210px;">
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The commissioner clinical services at the ministry of health, Dr Jacinto Amandua addressing participants during the meeting. PHOTO/Agnes Kyotalengerire</div>
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<strong>By Agnes Kyotalengerire <br /><span style="color: black;"><br />Majority of public health facilities are lacking basic equipment to resuscitate newly born babies leading to a high number of newborn deaths, a study has revealed.</span></strong>The report also indicates that in the few health centers where there is equipment, medical workers do not know how to use them.<br />
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“We lose babies who are born tired and cannot breathe because the health facility lacks equipment to resuscitate them,” said Barbara Zalwango a midwife working at Bulera health center III in Mityana district.<br />
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Resuscitation devices help to revive babies who fail to breath at birth a condition referred to as asphyxia.<br />
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The devices include: an ambu bag (neonatal bag) and mask, suction bulb and a training mannequin.<br />
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The study follows a survey that was conducted by White Ribbon Alliance Uganda in three pilot districts of Lira, Mityana and Kabale on the availability of newborn resuscitation devices has shown that most of public health center III and health center IVs lack equipment for resuscitating newborn babies.<br />
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Even where the equipment is available, health workers lack the skills to use it.<br />
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The national coordinator White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Uganda, Robina Biteyi said none of the three districts met the minimum requirements for resuscitation of the newborns which leads to high number of newborn babies dying.<br />
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The study findings were revealed during a stakeholders meeting organized by White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Uganda on creating an enabling policy and implementation framework for procurement , distribution and availability of newborn resuscitation devices at Golf Course Hotel in Kampala on Tuesday (yesterday).<br />
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The district health officer Mityana, Dr. Fred Lwasampijja said the cases of newborn death in the district are alarming.<br />
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Dr Lwasampijja estimated that in a month about ten newborn babies die due to failure of midwives to resuscitate them when they are born distressed; tired and cannot breathe.<br />
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“These are few facility deaths but the number could slightly go up because some babies die at home and the cases are never reported to the health facility,” he said.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: smaller;">Dr. Victaria Masembe working with WHO (left), the district health officer Mityana, Dr. Fred Lwasampijja(center) and the commissioner clinical services at the ministry of health, Dr Jacinto Amandua during the meeting at Golf Course hotel. PHOTO/ Agnes Kyotalengerire.</span></strong><br />
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Bateyi said procurement of newborn resuscitation devices by ministry of health has been largely dependent on project by donors.<br />
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"Health centers cannot order for devices when they need them and mainly have to rely on the ministry of health to buy the devices when there is a funded project," she said </div>
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<strong> What the ministry of health says</strong><br />
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The commissioner clinical services at the ministry of health, Dr Jacinto Amandua said with improvement in maternal and newborn health, focus is going to be put on acquisition of maternal and newborn equipment especially for resuscitation and also for helping mothers who have problems during delivery.<br />
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“The ministry is going to work with national medical stores to procure equipment for the public health units in addition to supplying medicines,” Amandua said.<br />
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He said procuring of resuscitation devices is only one aspect but it is important that every health facility has a skilled midwife to ensure the lives of mothers and newborns are safe.<br />
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Newborn mortality in health units is unacceptably high contributing to about 50% of deaths in children under the age of five years.<br />
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According to the study, out of the nine health centers in Lira, only three had newborn resuscitation requirements.<br />
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In Mityana, out of 12 health facilities assessed, only 7 had the devices and in Kabale district 19 out of the 22 health centers had the devices.<br />
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This situation puts the lives of newborns at risk of death.<br />
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According to the Uganda Demographic health survey 2011, a total of 106 newborn babies die every day due to preventable causes.<br />
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Of these, 26% die on the first day of life due to failure to breathe and maintain breathing a condition referred to as asphyxia.<br />
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President of Uganda private midwives association, Mary Gorret Musoke said the ministry of health should plan with various stake holders to know how much is needed for each health facility, create a budget line for procurement of these devices and train the human resource to use the devices.<br />
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<strong>Basic requirements for a labor suit</strong><br />
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The president elect, association of gynecologists of Uganda, Dr Jolly Beyeza said a mother in labor should be attended to by two midwives; one extra to give a helping hand in case the baby comes out distressed.<br />
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Secondly, there should be a labor bed where a mother labors from, a delivery bed, a delivery kit with all the instruments required for conducting a delivery, a resuscitation table with all the devices with a light up on the table to keep the baby warm.<br />
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A partograph is also required to monitor the progress of labor, fetal heart.</div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/661863-public-health-facilities-lack-resuscitation-devices-newborn-deaths-high-study.html">http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/661863-public-health-facilities-lack-resuscitation-devices-newborn-deaths-high-study.html</a></div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-22764064704564156022014-11-17T07:29:00.000-08:002014-11-18T03:14:38.036-08:00Citizen Participation in Budget Monitoring and Expenditure Tracking Requires Access To Information<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333339691162px; line-height: 18px;">Senfuka Samuel </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333339691162px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="mailto:info@wrauganda.org">info@wrauganda.org</a>/ <a href="mailto:bsenfuka@gmail.com">bsenfuka@gmail.com</a></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Mr Keith Meeting WRA team in his office. Photo by Faridah Luyiga</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 18px;">Budget Transparency and Accountability: WRA-Ug meeting with Mr. Keith Muhakanizi Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury-Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development. The aim of the meeting was to discuss a collaboration for making budget information available and accessible to citizens especially at district level. This is in line with WRA's citizen empowerment approach to monitor and track budget</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"> expenditures for Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care services at their health centres.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">"Ministry of Finance is happy and ready to partner and work with WRA and CSOs and provide all the necessary budget information. Our goal is to ensure that citizens are aware about their budget so that they are able to hold us accountable on fund releases and expenditures by ministries and districts," Muhakanizi pledges.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Ministry of Finance in the FY 2014/15 identified Budget transparency and accountability as one of the key interventions to strengthen institutional governance, accountability and transparency in public service delivery. Other interventions being undertaken to improve service delivery include:</span></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Publication of quarterly fund releases to ministries and Local Governments (both online and print media)</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Decentralization of the pay roll for civil servants</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Creation of a </span><a href="http://www.budget.go.ug/" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Uganda Budget Information Website</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">, meant to enable citizens to access budget information of resources allocated and utilized up to the local level </span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The ministry plans to establish an SMS platform and a phone Hotline for public feedback on budget utilization</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The ministry also conducts quarterly and annual budget monitoring and accountability through its Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit and at effective implementation of Government programmes and projects. </span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">All the above are well-intentioned interventions to improve budget accountability and </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">transparency but the question we should all ask ourselves is-how many people (citizens) are aware of these opportunities so that they can effectively participate in their budgets monitoring and expenditure tracking? It is often challenging to the community members to access budget information especially at district and sub-county level under the guise of confidentiality! Citizens need to be empowered to know their rights to access such information but also to use it in executing their obligation of monitoring and tracking utilization of the funds.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development should strengthen the budget accountability and transparency by investing in grass-root budget information dissemination and empowerment of citizens with skills to monitor the budgets and tracking expenditures.</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/actnowtosavemothers" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">#ActNowToSaveMothers</a> <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/accountability" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">#Accountability</a><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/transparency" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">#Transparency</a> <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/citizenparticipation" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">#CitizenParticipation</a><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/maternalhealth" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">#MaternalHealth</a> <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/commit2deliver" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">#Commit2deliver</a></span>WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-80219405172095729612014-11-17T06:16:00.000-08:002014-11-17T06:25:55.934-08:00URGENT NEED TO REVIEW THE PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY OF NEWBORN RESUSCITATION DEVICES<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfSMqIgRIfbuKPbwKoSDZ3K3YEaUPZ4zQ9DPeqmA8u-QJoAunQWRDh0-i3ZQrPACZ6IVohb8hlsGUod6ouzqcHG5Jzfh5VA817l7nfBK74DqW2ycZm09pl0eJMJpDTw28ksm8gwbpGN0/s1600/amandua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfSMqIgRIfbuKPbwKoSDZ3K3YEaUPZ4zQ9DPeqmA8u-QJoAunQWRDh0-i3ZQrPACZ6IVohb8hlsGUod6ouzqcHG5Jzfh5VA817l7nfBK74DqW2ycZm09pl0eJMJpDTw28ksm8gwbpGN0/s1600/amandua.jpg" height="640" width="536" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">Dr Jacinto Amandua Commissioner Clinical Services-Ministry of Health speaking during a stakeholders' <br />breakfast meeting on newborn resuscitation devices convened by WRA-Ug at Golf Course Hotel, Kampala</b></td></tr>
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<b style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 24.5333347320557px;">MEDIA RELEASE</span></b></div>
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November 12<sup>th</sup> 2014<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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For Immediate Release</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(Kampala)</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> In Uganda, 106 newborns
die every day due to preventable causes. Of these, 26% die on their first day
of life due to failure to breathe and maintain breathing, a condition referred
to as birth asphyxia. These deaths can be prevented if resuscitation devices to
manage birth asphyxia are available at the health facilities and health workers
know how to use them. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Basic newborn resuscitation devices
include an </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">ambu
bag, mask, suction bulb and training mannequin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Uganda conducted health facility of government-owned heath centers III and IV
on the availability of newborn resuscitation devices in three pilot districts;
Mityana, Kabale and Lira. WRA Uganda found out that none of the three districts
met the minimum requirements for the resuscitation of newborns. Out of 9 health
centers assessed in Lira, only 3 had the newborn resuscitation requirements. In
Mityana, out of 12 health facilities assessed, only 7 had the devices and in
Kabale District, 19 out of 22 health centers had the devices. This puts the
lives of newborns at risk of death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
procurement of newborn resuscitation devices by the Ministry of Health has been
largely dependent on projects by donors. Health centers cannot order the
devices when they need them and mainly rely on the Ministry of Health to
procure the devices when there is a funded project. Without adequate newborn
resuscitation services in all districts across the country, newborn survival
will continue to be a nightmare.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To
reduce newborn deaths, the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Uganda
recommends the following; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">The
mandate for procurement of newborn resuscitation devices should be given to
National Medical Stores.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Resuscitation
devices should be made vital commodities on NMS procurement list so that health
centers can order them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Ministry
of health should create a budget line for procurement of these devices.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Government
should allocate more funds for procurement and repair of the equipment.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">At
least 5% of Primary Health Care funds should be allocated to maintenance of
equipment.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">There
should be regular training for health workers so that they have the necessary
skills to use and maintain the resuscitation equipment.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Notes to editors</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Within a minute of birth, a baby who is not breathing
should be ventilated with a bag and mask. Although most babies breathe
spontaneously at birth, up to 10 percent of newborns require some assistance to
begin breathing. Only 3-6% require basic resuscitation, but the correct
technique will save 4 out of 5 babies who need it. Every skilled birth attendant
should be able to resuscitate a baby who is not breathing.<a href="file:///C:/Users/BSenfuka/Documents/Documents/WRA/Media/Releases/2014/Newborn%20resuscitation%20Devices-Nov2014.doc#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Uganda is advocating for policy
change for procurement of newborn resuscitation devices. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The advocacy goal is;</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Ministry of
Health (MOH) transfers the procurement of newborn resuscitation devices from its
headquarters to National Medical Stores (NMS) in the FY 2015/2016.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">For
further information and to arrange interviews, </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">please
contact: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Faridah
Luyiga Mwanje<b> </b>on<b> </b>Tel; 0706835826/0772968685 Email: </span><a href="mailto:fluyiga@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">fluyiga@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> or Elman Nsinda on
Tel: 0704182962 Email: </span><a href="mailto:nsindae@gmail.com"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">nsindae@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Email: </span><a href="mailto:info@wrauganda.org"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">info@wrauganda.org</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">, </span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Web:</span><b><span style="color: #0638a6; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">www.whiteribbonalliance.org</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">, </span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Blog: </span><a href="http://wrauganda.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://wrauganda.blogspot.com</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #0638a6; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Facebook:</span><b><span style="color: #0638a6; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/wrauganda"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">www.facebook.com/wrauganda</span></b></a><b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">, </span></b><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Twitter:</span><b><span style="color: #0638a6; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> @WRAUganda<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Save the Children. Surviving the first day: State of the World’s Mothers 2013</div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-3648991963932773872014-10-27T02:12:00.001-07:002014-10-27T02:52:45.034-07:00A RAY OF HOPE AS KABALE RECRUITS SIX MEDICAL DOCTORS AT HC IVs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m896a8BfqHY/VE3ugWS4DmI/AAAAAAAADd4/Qr3sBYnIbMw/s1600/kb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m896a8BfqHY/VE3ugWS4DmI/AAAAAAAADd4/Qr3sBYnIbMw/s1600/kb1.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Settlements on the hills in Butanda, Rubaya Sub-county, Kabale District</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Senfuka Samuel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:bsenfuka@gmail.com">bsenfuka@gmail.com</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">“Dear Dr Patrick, we appreciate your effort and
all those involved in this process to have the people of Kabale served better. I
am okay with the proposed site and I will assume duty early next week. I
request if possible help me inform the team in Rubaya Health Centre IV.” Dr Fortunate Asiimwe one of the interviewed medical doctors responded to a job offer by
Kabale District Local Government.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“Dr Patrick am ready to serve,” Dr Davis Ahabwe posted to </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">MPARO
Health Centre IV committed</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
enthusiasm of the newly recruited young doctors brings a ray of hope and smiles
to many faces of the people of Kabale especially the women who have been
traveling long distances to access comprehensive emergency obstetric care
services such as cesarean sections from Kabale Regional Referral Hospital due
to lack of doctors at health centre IVs. By all standards Kabale District is a
hard-to-reach and hard-to-serve area. It’s over 400 KM away from the capital
Kampala and has a rough hilly terrain with relatively poor access roads into
the hills where majority of people live. This and other factors make it a big
challenge to attract medical doctors and other health worker cadres to work in
this part of the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Collaborative Efforts and Successes </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In 2013 a citizen led campaign code
named <i><span style="color: #660000;">Act Now To Save Mothers</span></i> coordinated by White Ribbon Alliance
for Safe Motherhood Uganda (WRA Uganda) was flagged off in Kabale, Lira and
Mityana districts. The goal of the campaign is that the Government of Uganda
upholds its commitment to ensure that comprehensive emergency obstetric and
newborn care increases in health centre IVs from 17% to 50% and that basic
emergency obstetric and newborn care services are available in all health
centres. The campaign kicked off with a ground breaking participatory health
facility assessment in all the three districts to establish the status of Emergency
Obstetric and Newborn Care at all Government owned health centre (HC)<span style="color: red;"> </span>IIIs and IVs. Twenty two (22) were assessed in Kabale
District. The </span><a href="http://whiteribbonalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Act-Now-to-Save-Mothers-Uganda-Campaign-Materials.pdf"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">assessment findings</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> showed that Kabale had NO medical
doctor in any of its 7 health centre IVs hence none of the health centres could
save a pregnant woman with emergency surgery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Since then Kabale residents have used the
findings in engagements with their district and national leaders through
dialogue meetings, </span><a href="http://wrauganda.blogspot.com/2013/12/act-now-to-save-mothers.html"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">petitioning
District</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">, </span><a href="http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Women-MPs-want-more-funding-for-childbirth/-/688334/2385158/-/4vslc1z/-/index.html"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Petitioning
Parliament</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">, citizens’ voice, </span><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/tde6jb60xwop2am/WRAUG%20EmONC%20video.mp4?dl=0"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Videos</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">,
budget analysis and advocacy, marches, media among other campaign tactics to
change this unacceptable state of health affairs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
district political and health sector leaders are part of the campaign and they showed
a strong level of willingness to do business unusual. They actively
participated in health facility assessments and other campaign activities. The
District Health Officer (DHO) led efforts to spot and request medical doctors
to work in the district. “Despite the many challenges there is a ray of hope,
our efforts have indeed started to pay off. I thank our partners for
complementing the work of the district under the health sector. In a special way
I thank WRA Uganda for dedicating time, resources, advocating and convening
stakeholders around maternal and newborn health in the district and at national
level. You have helped to refocus our health department priorities and
generating ideas for improving maternal and newborn health service delivery,” a
visibly happy DHO Dr Patrick Tusiime expressed.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Looking Forward</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">During
a district leaders meeting convened by White Ribbon Alliance for Safe
Motherhood Uganda on 17</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> October 2014 at White Horse Inn, Kabale Dr
Patrick Tusiime confirmed that three medical officers had reported to their stations at Rubaya, Hamurwa
and Mparo HC IV respectively. Others will go to Kamwezi, Maziba and Muko HC
IVs. “These medical officers are all young people and there is need to be
mindful of their personal ambitions and career growth. We have to explore all
possible ways to motivate and retain them,” Tusiime cautioned leaders.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUEFI8ibXjPdHed4yOz3fPYe2JoMqNW55zS_nQQdDJeBViiKC1Vbp7EQ5TRB9axcrnjq29OqXbLfImBnsqd_xEKRJ3yEBiDyHzedH3w-iQHPUATqSzH_Q0EEGXFqsYDdkf5wRppjnjfQ/s1600/ptdr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUEFI8ibXjPdHed4yOz3fPYe2JoMqNW55zS_nQQdDJeBViiKC1Vbp7EQ5TRB9axcrnjq29OqXbLfImBnsqd_xEKRJ3yEBiDyHzedH3w-iQHPUATqSzH_Q0EEGXFqsYDdkf5wRppjnjfQ/s1600/ptdr.jpg" height="400" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Dr Patrick Tusiime-</b></span><b style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Kabale </b><b style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">District Health Officer addressing members </b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">during a meeting at White Horse Inn, Kabale</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">. </span></b></span><b style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">PHOTO BY SENFUKA SAMUEL</b></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In
a room filled with majority of District Councilors including the District Speaker,
Secretary for Health and Secretary for Finance, the District Health Officer
called on them to support and prioritize renovation and construction of staff
houses in the planning and budgeting process for FY 2015/2016 which is
underway. He added that there is need to continue advocating to central
Government to increase financing of district lower health facilities, strengthening
community participation and public private partnerships.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“We
are currently facing a short supply of anaesthetic personnel on the market but
the district has a three prolonged approach to address this gap. A plan is
underway with the District Service Commission Chairperson to advertise the
vacant posts. We are also discussing with the management of Kabale referral hospital
to support the health centre IVs in case we fail to get the staff. The medium
term solution will be to identify qualified persons among existing staff and
recommend them for training in anaesthesia at Mbarara University and bond them
for a specific period of time before they think of working somewhere else,” Dr
Tusiime disclosed.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
District Councilors who sit on the district top policy making body (District
Council) unanimously agreed to push for a recommendation of top-up allowance
for the doctors in the next council meeting slated for November 2014. “Hon
colleagues we need to act on this urgently. Llet us take this issue to the council
through our Health Committee and District Executive Committee. We shall table a
motion for a council resolution to provide a specified amount of top-up
allowance for the medical officers and we have all agreed to support it,”
District Speaker Hon Twinomuhangi suggested. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
district councilors concurred that motivation is not all about monetary
benefits, they agreed to plan with the DHO to visit and meet with the new
doctors and old staff at the health centres as a sign of care but also to talk
to them about what the district plans to do to improve their working
conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnOp-Wij6qxgO0R32bR__rWtTWgT7dB6TtoOIZlipV4c0KXuZ2FQOhEaiA06pKaY9DAOckoU7qNIloG51dcTTxgoIMzzzuz93au8xDpVWs3Rl7TLKvHQqq7u86hBg5xAr_hVeJa-u-P4/s1600/jb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnOp-Wij6qxgO0R32bR__rWtTWgT7dB6TtoOIZlipV4c0KXuZ2FQOhEaiA06pKaY9DAOckoU7qNIloG51dcTTxgoIMzzzuz93au8xDpVWs3Rl7TLKvHQqq7u86hBg5xAr_hVeJa-u-P4/s1600/jb.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>A section of District Councilors during the meeting moderated by Mr. Julius Barusya at White Horse Inn-Kabale. PHOTO BY SENFUKA SAMUEL</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">A journey of a 1000
miles starts with the first step (Chinese Proverb) and Kabale District has made
this step. As a minimum, the Government
of Uganda must increase funding to fulfill its commitment to fully equip Health
Centres III and IV with trained, motivated health workers and the tools they
need to provide effective emergency care. And as citizens and other
stakeholders we have to keep the momentum as watch dogs to ensure that this
commitment is fulfilled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">#ActNowToSaveMothers #commit2deliver #MDGMomentum</span></div>
WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-76368755724213735552014-10-18T13:24:00.001-07:002014-10-18T13:40:07.588-07:00Emergency Obstetric & Newborn Care Saved My Wife & Son<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"><b>Written by Denis Okwir</b> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A member and
a White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) Uganda trained Citizen Journalist in Lira
District. Denis is also Coordinator of Youth for Life Uganda, a community based
organization. He tracks progress on maternal and newborn health in Lira
District. By doing this, he is holding the Government of Uganda accountable to
its commitment to improve life-saving care for pregnant women and newborns at
health centers III and IV.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i>
</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My wife Anna was
expecting our first child on October 13<sup>th</sup> 2014, but delivered a baby
boy on August 1<sup>st</sup> 2014, two months before her due date! She had been
diagnosed with </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligohydramnios"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">O</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ligohydramnios</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> [a
condition in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy" title="Pregnancy"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">pregnancy</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
characterized by a deficiency of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amniotic_fluid" title="Amniotic fluid"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">amniotic fluid</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">].
The </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">doctor told us that the
fluid which keeps the baby was over due to ‘leaking’ and that any time; the
baby was going to come out. Anna was told to go for a diagnostic scan and the
report from the ultra-sound showed that the baby was very okay but the fluid around
it was little. This was shocking news to Anna and I. Being first time parents;
we had no experience and never heard of such a condition. She was told to go
for ultra-sound scanning every two weeks. I bought pads for her every day
because she was ‘leaking.’ It was quite costly and worrying. This went on for
three months, having started when she was five months pregnant. She was told by
doctors to go on bed rest with medication.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6PmHDGR3rXM/VELDQg0NhHI/AAAAAAAADTk/BB3X_IXqKG0/s1600/Denis_wife2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6PmHDGR3rXM/VELDQg0NhHI/AAAAAAAADTk/BB3X_IXqKG0/s1600/Denis_wife2.jpg" height="320" width="280" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anna breast feeding her baby</span></b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">On August 1<sup>st</sup>
2014, her condition worsened and doctors recommended emergency surgery to save
her life and that of the unborn baby. Anna was operated successfully, giving
birth to a premature baby boy. I feared our child would die and had many
sleepless nights because it did not breast feed for two days yet its weight was
only 1.6 kg. Our son was kept under intensive care for 12 days and this intensive
unit has been very instrumental in reducing numbers of babies dying during
birth. Our son, Sam Hopeo is a healthy boy and his mother Anna is a healthy
loving mother. We are thankful to God and secondly to midwives at Ogur Health Centre
IV where my wife first received care and to Dr. Robert, Dr. Sara and consultant
Dr. Tiri at Lira Regional Referral Hospital for their tireless efforts to save
Anna and the newborn’s life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As a citizen journalist and
an advocate for safe motherhood, I am now more energized to move around villages
and communities to encourage pregnant women to attend antenatal care and
deliver from health facilities because it helps to identify complications early
enough for appropriate and timely care. My wife had been going for antenatal
care regularly and this helped us to identify the problem early. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Call to Government:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> My call to the Government is to support our health centers III and
IV with life-saving equipment to help detect and treat complications during
pregnancy and birth early so that they can be addressed. Our health workers
should be well motivated and equipped with what they need to deliver quality health
services.</span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Advice to my fellow men</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">: A responsible husband
should play his part when the wife is pregnant. I have had a real life
experience of the issues (obstetric and newborn complications) we have been
advocating for as citizens under White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood.
Together with fellow residents in Lira District under ACT NOW TO SAVE MOTHERS
campaign, we have been campaigning to Government to increase Emergency
Obstetric and Newborn care services at our health centers III and IV in the
district-as a result our district has allocated funds to renovate and equip the
operating theaters at Ogur and Amach health centre IVs. Buying food for women is not enough. Husbands,
give your wives all the support they need during pregnancy, childbirth and
after birth.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-70695971745881045632014-10-02T08:03:00.000-07:002014-10-02T08:35:58.886-07:00Development Partners Support the Creation of Global Financing Facility to Advance Women’s and Children’s Health<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Posted by Senfuka Samuel</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:bsenfuka@gmail.com">bsenfuka@gmail.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;">It's your responsibility to ASK your National Leaders (President, Ministers of Health and Finance, MP etc) to commit to ACT and fulfill their promises to improve</span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/maternal" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#maternal</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;"> and </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/child" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#child</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;"> health in Uganda. </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/actnowtosavemothers" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#ActNowToSaveMothers</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;"></span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/commit2deliver" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#commit2deliver</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/mdgmomentum" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">#MDGMomentum</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below is a Press Release By The World Bank</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Source: </span><a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/09/25/development-partners-support-creation-global-financing-facility-women-children-health" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/09/25/development-partners-support-creation-global-financing-facility-women-children-health</a><br />
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<i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">New facility sets course to accelerate completion of the Millennium Development Goals and end preventable maternal and child deaths by 2030</i></div>
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<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NEW YORK, September 25, 2014</b>–The World Bank Group and Governments of Canada, Norway, and the United States announced today that they will jumpstart the creation of an innovative Global Financing Facility (GFF) to mobilize support for developing countries’ plans to accelerate progress on the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and bring an end to preventable maternal and child deaths by 2030.</div>
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The GFF, in support of Every Woman Every Child, is being developed in close collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, including partner countries; the H4+ agencies (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNAIDS, UN Women and the World Bank Group); civil society organizations; bilateral and multilateral development partners; foundations; private sector and others working in the areas of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health. The GFF will support countries in their efforts to mobilize additional domestic and international resources required to scale up and sustain essential health services for women, children and adolescents.</div>
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The initial donor commitments to the World Bank Group for the GFF include grants in the amounts of $600 million from Norway and $200 million from Canada. The GFF resources will be provided to countries in conjunction with low-interest loans and grants from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group’s fund for the poorest countries. Based on strong country demand for health results-based financing programs, these bilateral contributions could leverage up to an estimated $3.2 billion from IDA, for a total of up to $4 billion in financing to support MDG acceleration and improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health.</div>
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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), on behalf of the United States, is committed to working with partners to establish the GFF, bringing its full arsenal of innovative financing mechanisms and public-private partnerships to the collaboration. Aligning USAID's support through these complementary mechanisms could bring upto $400 million in leveraged resources to these efforts.</div>
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<i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The creation of the Global Financing Facility will enable us to transform the business of global health and development with scaled-up, smart, and sustainable financing, so that all women and children have access to lifesaving care,” </i>said <b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim</b>.<i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> “This signals our collective resolve as development partners to help countries push further and faster to bring an end to preventable maternal and child deaths and extreme poverty.”</i></div>
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The support to create the GFF was announced by global leaders at the high-level event for Every Woman Every Child during the 69<sup style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">th</sup> UN General Assembly. The GFF will be designed to support the goals of the Every Woman Every Child global movement and the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the UN Millennium Development Goals Summit in September 2010, and supported by the G-8 Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health, launched under the leadership of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.</div>
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<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon</b> said, “<i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Under the Every Woman Every Child partnership model, the health community is leading the way in finding innovative solutions and expanding new partnerships. For the first time ever, we have the historic opportunity to end all preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths within a generation. This new funding boost and innovative financing approach will help us get closer to that goal, with United Nations agencies and multiple partners playing a major role.</i>”</div>
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The GFF will build on the experience, capacity and strong track record of the Health Results Innovative Trust Fund at the World Bank Group to support developing countries’ national plans for scaling up access to quality reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services. </div>
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<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway</b> said, <i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“</i><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Norway is committed to support the Global Financing Facility. With its diversification of resources, results focus and targeting of girls and women, this is tailor- made for the new development agenda.”</i><b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></b></div>
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A unique aspect of the GFF is to support developing countries in their transition to long-term sustainable domestic financing as they grow from low- to middle-income economies. The facility is expected to mobilize additional domestic and international funds from a variety of sources, including other bilateral and multilateral donors, domestic budgets, the private sector and innovative financing mechanisms.</div>
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A special focus area of the GFF will be to support countries to expand <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/health/publication/global-civil-registration-vital-statistics-scaling-up-investment" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; color: #850000; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Civil Registration and Vital Statistics</a> (CRVS) efforts toward universal registration of every pregnancy, every birth and every death by 2030. CRVS systems provide a critical accountability tool for reducing mortality and ensuring universal access to health care, education and other essential services. </div>
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<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada</b> said, “<i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I am very proud that Canada is a founding member of the Global Financing Facility for Every Woman Every Child. Canada believes that maternal, newborn and child health must stay at the forefront of the post 2015 agenda. Today's announcement will help ensure that developing countries have access to capital that will strengthen their health systems and build the necessary civil registration and vital statistics systems to record and track essential data, which saves the lives of mothers and children.”</i><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></i></div>
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<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Administrator Rajiv Shah, of the United States Agency for International Development</b>said, “<i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As we set our sights on achieving great human aspirations, we have to reimagine development with new business models, innovations, and partnerships. The Global Financing Facility will harness the creativity and expertise of a range of impressive new partners in order to save the lives of moms and kids everywhere. It is a symbol of a new model of development that increasingly defines how we work around the world to help end extreme poverty</i>."</div>
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<b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“</b><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The MDGs have enabled remarkable shared progress toward ending preventable child and maternal deaths, but the job is not done</i><b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">,” said Ray Chambers, UN Special Envoy for Financing the Health MDGs and for Malaria. “</b><i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I salute the World Bank, Norway, Canada, and the United States for this visionary and unprecedented collaboration to funding better health, and hope to see impact from this funding in the remaining 462 days of the MDGs</i>.”</div>
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Consultations on the design and implementation of the GFF are now underway with countries and with key partners and organizations working on women’s and children’s health. The facility is expected to be fully operational in 2015.</div>
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“<i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We are delighted with this development</i>,” said <b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organization.</b> “<i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the last year we have estimated the investment needs for countries to end preventable maternal and child deaths by 2030 (an additional 5 US$ per capita per year in high-burden countries) and also to scale up CRVS plans. We are convinced we can work together so this facility will be the way to channel and leverage efficiently the funding needed to achieve these ambitious but realistic goals.</i>”</div>
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“<i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I welcome this initiative to support and increase national capacity to take leadership on financing women's and children’s health,” </i>said <b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Graça</b> <b style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Machel, Chair, The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health</b>. “<i style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">PMNCH looks forward to facilitating wide consultation among its 650+ members from government and development partners, to civil society, academia, health professionals and the private sector to realize this vision</i>.”</div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-36618433735436274892014-09-25T08:40:00.001-07:002014-09-25T08:40:02.637-07:00THE USUAL SUSPECTS RESPOND TO CITIZENS' VOICE AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY<b><i>Senfuka Samuel</i></b><br />
<b><i>bsenfuka@gmail.com</i></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eqaXFTGByMw/VCQr1YhkR5I/AAAAAAAADCk/JKj5VvRQDG0/s1600/Faridah%2Bat%2Bewec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eqaXFTGByMw/VCQr1YhkR5I/AAAAAAAADCk/JKj5VvRQDG0/s1600/Faridah%2Bat%2Bewec.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Luyiga Faridah -Communications Officer at WRA Uganda speaking at PMNCH Accountability brunch-New York</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.466667175293px;">The 69th Session of the UN General Assembly is convening in New York City from 16th September to 31st October 2014. It is convening at a time when the deadline to the Millennium</span><span style="line-height: 21.466667175293px;"> Development Goals (MDGs) set in 2000 is remaining with less than 500 days. One of the agendas at this 69th session is that Governments around the world are sitting to reflect on delivery of their commitments to their citizens as they deliberate on new development targets beyond 2015. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">During this session, White Ribbon </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">Alliance (WRA)</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px;"> for Safe Motherhood is working with other civil society advocates to ensure that global leaders do not talk to </span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">themselves</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.466667175293px;"> alone but also give space and listen to what citizens want (citizens' voice) to be in the new Health Development Agenda. WRA's pressure exerted on the usual suspects (the familiar faces at UN top tables) to give up their speaking slots to citizens' voice yielded some results with appreciation. Ray Chambers, Special Envoy on Malaria to Secretary General of UN moved over for a citizen leader, Flavia Bustreo of WHO and Kathy Calvin of UNF gave up their seats to civil society leaders at the Every Women Every Child (EWEC) accountability </span><span style="line-height: 21.466667175293px;">reception. Read about WRA Citizens Post-<a href="http://whiteribbonalliance.org/citizens_post_issue1/"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://whiteribbonalliance.org/citizens_post_issue1/</span></a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px; text-indent: -24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px; text-indent: -24px;">Faridah Luyiga Mwanje of White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Uganda was one of the civil society advocate for</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px; text-indent: -24px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px; text-indent: -24px;">maternal health </span><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">spoke on behalf of citizens at Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) brunch on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York. Faridah shared her personal story of losing a sister and her experience as a maternal health advocate which emotionally touched many attentive attendants.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">"I thank the PMNCH for this rare opportunity to speak about the work we are doing- with families, with communities, with districts, with midwives, with politicians. Uganda still loses high number of women and newborns due to pregnancy and childbirth related causes. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px; text-indent: -24px;">"My sister Remie Wamala bled to death. There was no blood to save her life. It's then that I </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px; text-indent: -24px;">realized</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 21.466667175293px; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"> if this level of neglect happens in a high end facility, what is birth like for most of my countrywomen? I joined White Ribbon Alliance where I am campaigning to make birth safe for women and newborns." Luyiga Faridah</span><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">L-R: <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.410852432251px; text-align: start;">Dr. Robert C. Orr, UN </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20.410852432251px; text-align: start;">Assistant Secretary General for Policy Coordination& Strategic Planning</span><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 21.466667175293px;">, Luyiga Faridah, Communications Officer WRA Uganda, Dr. Margaret Chan,</span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Director General WHO and </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Richard Horton Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;"><b> Government of Uganda </b></span><span style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">Commitment</span><b style="font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;"> to provide Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC)- </b><span style="font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">Faridah said that despite Government's commitment to the UN Global Strategy for Women and Children's Health that half of health centres in Uganda would provide EmONC services, when WRA Uganda </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">surveyed</span><span style="line-height: 21.466667175293px;"><span style="font-size: 14.4444446563721px;"> 43 health facilities in Kabale, Lira and Mityana districts </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">it was found </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">NOT ONE health facility (out of 12 health centre IVs) provided comprehensive EmONC-</span><a href="http://whiteribbonalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Act-Now-to-Save-Mothers-Uganda-Campaign-Materials.pdf" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 21.466667175293px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://whiteribbonalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Act-Now-to-Save-Mothers-Uganda-Campaign-Materials.pdf</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 21.466667175293px; text-indent: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;"> "Our </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">survey</span><span style="font-size: 14.4444446563721px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;"> brought leaders together with district leaders, health workers and community members; for the first time they began to work together as partners, without fear of blame. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.466667175293px;">I therefore implore you as global leaders and Governments to support the citizens who are working so hard to bring the change needed and wanted in their own countries." Luyiga Faridah</span></div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-31130242539604681082014-09-12T08:34:00.002-07:002014-09-12T08:34:51.705-07:00Govt Concerned About Power Blackout At A Football Match Not Life-Saving Health Centres<b><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Senfuka Samuel</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where Are Our Country's Priorities? In #Uganda we have hundreds of health centres NOT connected at all to the National Power Grid. #Midwives are struggling daily to save thousands of women by delivering them using their cell phone torches and kerosene lamps- A health facility assessment conducted by White Ribbon Alliance Uganda in October 2013 found that out of 43 Govt health centres (IVs and IIIs) in Kabale, Lira and Mityana District, 24 of them were not connected to national power grid! </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Read full report</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"> <a href="http://whiteribbonalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Act-Now-to-Save-Mothers-Uganda-Campaign-Materials.pdf">http://whiteribbonalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Act-Now-to-Save-Mothers-Uganda-Campaign-Materials.pdf</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzcizTiSrz5zhYPBz7os5_pTv8p_HLCoNldxKaEFyZYBMSJir-b5aVEP-ZL6BzkzeSrHNYqETpQbNZU3_IpOWHqBYBwKjIYWvX4sTcAEjZ-cTwz7vtF9Vh5n1y3sx-xQ8CV3_WAlSLtA/s1600/DSC04199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlzcizTiSrz5zhYPBz7os5_pTv8p_HLCoNldxKaEFyZYBMSJir-b5aVEP-ZL6BzkzeSrHNYqETpQbNZU3_IpOWHqBYBwKjIYWvX4sTcAEjZ-cTwz7vtF9Vh5n1y3sx-xQ8CV3_WAlSLtA/s1600/DSC04199.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Advocates for safer #pregnancy and #childbirth, therefore we are puzzled to read headlines in our </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">local dailies and in some international media that police arrested, interrogated and charged the Namboole stadium manager with negligence because of a less than 10-minutes power blackout when our national football team was playing against Guinea on the evening of Tuesday 9th Sept. Also the power distribution company, #Umeme immediately issued a statement about the incident that it was due to fluctuation in electricity supply. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">See <a href="http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Namboole-blackout--What-happened-/-/688334/2449668/-/82s2ppz/-/index.html.">http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Namboole-blackout--What-happened-/-/688334/2449668/-/82s2ppz/-/index.html.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all agree that there should not be power failure at such an international game but we have not seen same action(s) by Uganda Police or other Govt agencies strongly coming out to ASK WHY our health centres are operating in darkness or even arrest those responsible to connect them to electricity because this is a matter of LIFE and DEATH!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Govt should rethink about our priorities. We ask our Govt to ACT urgently to FULFILL the commitments made to secure women's and children's health. Availability of electricity is essential in provision of life saving health services especially to pregnant women and their newborns.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#ActNowToSaveMothers #commit2deliver #MDGMomentum #EveryNewbornCounts</span></div>
WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-68704149509981272422014-08-23T12:51:00.000-07:002014-10-31T02:25:48.431-07:00Marking 500 Days to MDGs Deadline: Citizens Reflect on Accountability Work for Improving Maternal Health<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Compiled by Senfuka Samuel with Citizen Journalists Rose Nalugo and Kaddu William</b></i></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Kaddu William a Citizen Journalist trained by WRA</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many Civil Society groups do a lot of work but fail to report back to the stakeholders involved in the initiatives due to weak accountability mechanisms. <span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">It's vital to plan and integrate accountability mechanisms in all people-centred initiatives. To be accountable to its stakeholders, White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Uganda members in Mityana convened a meeting </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">on 22nd August</span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> 2014 </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">to share successes, challenges and lessons learnt from Act Now To Save Mothers campaign implementation. The campaign that was started in October 2013 in the district focuses on pushing Government to fulfill its commitment of providing C-section and blood transfusion services (</span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care)</span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">at health centres IV and basic </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">emergency obstetric and newborn care in all health centres by 2015</span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> . The meeting was attended by district political leaders, District Health Team members, community members, health workers among others.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Sr Esther Kalule speaking to stakeholders at Enro Hotel</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mityana District residents were stricken by sad news of losing ten (10) women in childbirth between January &August 2014. This was revealed by Mityana District Principal Nursing Officer Sr. Esther Kalule at the meeting. "It's sad to reveal to you that we have lost 10 women between January and August 2014 at the district hospital. Majority of them died due to delays at home, at health centres, poor emergency transport means and by the time they reached hospital they could not be saved." Kalule said. Sr Kalule a midwife called on to White Ribbon Alliance to speed and scale up community social accountability so that linkages among community, health workers and leaders are strengthened to save lives. "This meeting to give feedback has been an eye opener and a challenge to all of us. I did not know that Government had finally increased our salary and by what percentage but through this feedback meeting am able to get the information," Sr Kalule expressed. According to Sr. Kalule Mityana District Hospital alone delivers an average of 400 women per month of which an average of 100 deliver by cesarean section.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">DHO Dr Lwassa making a presentation on district health budget at Enro hotel</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mityana District Health Officer Dr Lwassa in his presentation of the budget for financial year 2014/15 indicated an increment of wages for health workers aimed at motivation & retention. "Our wage bill has increased from shs 3.4 billion in 2013/14 to 5.3 billion in 2014/15. We have also allocated shs </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">166,000,000 million</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to improve on staff accommodation which is anticipated to reduce on staff absenteeism." He added</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Medicines Management Supervisor</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Mr Bukule </b></span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">presenting on medicines</b><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">&supplies</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We have made great progress since the medicines meeting convened by White Ribbon Alliance in February 2014. We have ensured that life-saving medicines& health supplies are adequately planned for in this FY 2014/15. The remaining challenge is for our In-charges to make timely orders but also National Medical Stores to honor& supply what we request for," District Medicines Management Supervisor. A budget of Shs 1.2 billion was allocated to the district to procure medicines and health supplies.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Mr. Lubega Israel District Vice Chairperson speaking at stakeholders review meeting</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"On behalf of the District leadership, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I pledge</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> our support and continued partnership with White Ribbon Alliance in improving women's health. We are ready to work together and the community members to ensure that funds allocated to deliver maternal health services are well utilized," District Vice Chairperson committed</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Group Discussion led by Chairperson Health Unit Management Committee Naama HC III</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Senfuka Samuel giving feedback to stakeholders on national budget proposals </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b>Group led by Sr Kalule Principal Nursing Officer</b></span></td></tr>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-7483545409981131202014-07-24T12:06:00.000-07:002014-07-24T12:06:09.140-07:00Health rights activists and MPs outline health budget priorities<div id="articlemeta" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; margin: 15px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;">
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By MERCY NALUGO<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Posted Thursday, July 24 2014 at 10:37</div>
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The total allocation to local governments is Shs323.145 billion compared to Shs575.4 billion reserved for the Ministry of Health headquarters.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Civil society health rights organisations and law makers have identified key areas where they want government to direct more funding ahead of today’s meeting with the ministry of Health aimed at scrutinising budget allocations to the health sector.</span></div>
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In a joint meeting Wednesday, the legislators on the Parliamentary Health Committee concurred with health rights activists of the White Ribbon Alliance (WRA), Initiative for Social and Economic Rights and the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) agreed to push for increased funding to the Primary Health Care (PHC), maternal health and enhancing salaries of health workers.</div>
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“We as a committee have agreed to prioritise the recruitment of health workers. We shall also demand for answers on allocations to the Primary Health Care and why this area has been marginalised over time,” said the Mbarara Municipality MP, Dr Medard Bitekyerezo, while chairing the meeting.</div>
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This was after a submission by members of civil society who stressed that without paying special focus on ensuring an adequate human resource and primary health care funding especially at the various health centres, the health sector would remain crippled which could among others problems, accelerate maternal deaths.</div>
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“The dilemma is that government has approved a constant sum of Shs 15billion for Health centre 111s and Health Centres 1Vs countrywide but to us this is peanuts. Most women have died as a result of health workers lacking simple essentials like gloves, fuel for ambulances and lack of electricity as a result of failure to pay exorbitant Bills. Government must direct more funding in this field,” said Ms Robinah Biteyi, the executive director of WRA.</div>
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Ms Angella Nabwowe, the Programme Coordinator for Initiative for Social and Economic Rights and a member of CSBAG pointed out that Parliament in 2011 passed a resolution compelling the ministry of Health to submit to Parliament annual reports on maternal audits as a way of curbing maternal deaths and the ministry has never responded to their demand.</div>
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She identified the monitoring and evaluation slot in this financial year’s budget arguing that it has remained underfunded.</div>
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“The objectives of this according to the Ministerial Policy Statement is to conduct regular health sector performance, monitoring and evaluation, to ensure that standards and guidelines are developed, disseminated and used effectively at all levels. It is also to ensure that a regular support supervision system is established and strengthened at all levels among others”, she said.</div>
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In the Ministerial policy statement for the financial year 2014/2015, it is stated that only Shs41 billion has been allocated as recurrent budget to run health service delivery in 137 local governments with 56 general Hospitals, 61 Private Not For Profit Hospitals and 4,205 lower health units for the last five years.</div>
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The total allocation to local governments is Shs323.145 billion compared to Shs575.4 billion reserved for the Ministry of Health headquarters.</div>
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“Concentrating resources at the national level is problematic since most people use the public health care system at local government level. Stagnation of this budget line amidst the ever increasing prices of goods and services, including utilities makes the running of health facilities difficult,” Ms Nabwowe said.</div>
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PHC budget involves buying hospital equipment that is used on day today activities, clearing the hospital’s electricity and water bills, maintaining the hygiene of the hospital and running ambulances.</div>
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While the primary school teachers are getting a 25percent salary increment as announced by the Finance Minister, Ms Maria Kiwanuka in this year’s budget, health workers will benefit from an overall Shs450 billion salary increment for all public servants in the country.</div>
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Midwives earn less than Shs350,000 monthly plus a Shs12,000 overtime allowance which the activists said is very little.</div>
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The ministry expressed the need to recruit 2400 health workers requiring an additional 23.4billion in wages. But going by the wage bill, the funds were not provided. The Health ministry, however, indicated in the 2014/2015 financial year that it can only recruit through the Health Service Commission an extra 800 health workers for as long as the money is availed.</div>
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Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Health-rights-activists-and-MPs-outline-health-budget-priorities/-/688334/2395560/-/item/1/-/gap0erz/-/index.html </div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-13175544888247997562014-07-16T01:47:00.000-07:002014-07-16T01:47:38.266-07:00Women MPs Want More Funding for Childbirth<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal;">By NELSON WESONGA & YASIIN MUGERWA</span><br style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal;">Posted Wednesday, July 16 2014 at 01:00</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">PARLIAMENT. </span></div>
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Two women representatives want Parliament to push the Executive to allocate more funds to obstetrics – a branch of medicine that deals with childbirth as well as midwifery.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />They say the amount the government has been allocating has compromised childbirth so much so that less than 40 per cent of the health centres have piped water in the maternity wards.</div>
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“This has compromised clean and safe births, which increases the risk of infections that currently account for about 22 per cent of maternal deaths in the country,” Ms Ronah Rita Ninsiima, the Kabale District Woman Representative, said on Tuesday when reading a petition by women from Kabale.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />She added that many health centres could not carry out caesarean sections and transfuse blood.</div>
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Relatedly, Ms Joy Atim Ongom, the Woman Representative of Lira District, said the government should meet “new-borns care services”.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />The women leader’s pleas – during yesterday’s plenary – come just weeks before the House starts appropriating money for the different government departments, one of which is the Ministry of Health.</div>
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Ms Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of Parliament, referred the petitions to the House Committee on Health.</div>
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The committee should scrutinise the petitions, hear from stakeholders, make recommendations and report back to the House within 45 days.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />However, in many cases, many a committee of Parliament do not complete the work within the 45 days.</div>
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Consequently, the people who would have rushed to Parliament for assistance assume the House has ignored their problem.<br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the Member of Parliament of Kinkiizi East, said the House should consider whether it should form a special committee to handle petitions.</div>
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The Speaker said this could be because some petitions are supposed to be dealt with by some government committees.</div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">editorial@ug.nationmedia.com</em></div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Women-MPs-want-more-funding-for-childbirth/-/688334/2385158/-/4vslc1z/-/index.html</em></div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-36167148653735204192014-03-07T01:31:00.000-08:002014-03-07T02:31:42.571-08:00Equality For Women Is Progress For All: Access To Life Saving Services for Pregnant Women Is A Matter of Fairness and Right<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">Senfuka Samuel</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">bsenfuka@gmail.com/info@wrauganda.org</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jrk_ZPHnrkBVBVAGLS84nxflJ_FRfabY9-2QFhycJp61BbQdsIo-1Dkbt1xh3A9iWD-5sxWRbhTgeJtyCZuPi6r_3qzWbbGYA7gHy8cuL9-TYx_Um1MrePKS4pqiGcSw5A8xxqBq-a8/s1600/on-becoming-a-mother+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jrk_ZPHnrkBVBVAGLS84nxflJ_FRfabY9-2QFhycJp61BbQdsIo-1Dkbt1xh3A9iWD-5sxWRbhTgeJtyCZuPi6r_3qzWbbGYA7gHy8cuL9-TYx_Um1MrePKS4pqiGcSw5A8xxqBq-a8/s1600/on-becoming-a-mother+cover.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"><b>A Book Cover of Becoming A Mother</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">Traditionally, every 8th March the world celebrates women in recognition of the </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">pivotal</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px;"> role they play in various spheres of development. Women are the mothers of the world, they risk and carry a pregnancy for full nine months and go through the pains of childbirth. Women also nurture us.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">Despite the risk associated with pregnancy and the labour pains they go through, pregnancy and childbirth are celebrated around the world. As part of this year's International Women's Day celebration, </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">Ms Brigid McConville-Media Director at White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood has collected a</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">ll these wonderful experiences of pregnancy and childbirth around the world including </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/uganda?source=feed_text" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="_58cl" style="color: #6d84b4;">#</span><span class="_58cm">Uganda</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;"> in a new book </span><a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/becomingamother?source=feed_text" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="_58cl" style="background-color: white; color: #6d84b4; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; text-decoration: none;">#</span><span class="_58cm" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; text-decoration: none;">BecomingaMother</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">A copy of this wonderful book can be ordered at: <a href="https://www.oneworld-publications.com/books/brigid-mcconville/on-becoming-a-mother">https://www.oneworld-publications.com/books/brigid-mcconville/on-becoming-a-mother</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">In line with UN theme for 2014 IWD <i><b>"Equality for Women is Progress for All," </b></i>p</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">roceeds from the book (Becoming a Mother) will support the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood work towards making pregnancy and childbirth </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">safer</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;"> for all women regardless of where they live, social or income status.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">This year's IWD celebration is aimed at highlighting the importance of achieving equality for women. White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Uganda highly considers access to life-saving care services for all pregnant women and newborns as a matter of fairness, a right to healthcare and life.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">We call on our government and leaders </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">for more action </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">to accelerate progress towards improving maternal health (MDG5) more especially to ensure that comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care (CEmONC) increases in health centres IV from 17% to 50% and that basic </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">emergency obstetric and newborn care services are available in all health centres to avert maternal and neonatal deaths as you promised.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">The Time is NOW, the DEADLINE for MDGs is Next Year (2015) #ActNowToSaveMothers</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px;">Happy International Women's Day celebrations!</span></div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-83193912339952983072014-02-14T07:08:00.002-08:002014-02-17T01:51:04.597-08:00IT IS A DISGRACE: LIRA DISTRICT LOST 6 MOTHERS AND 184 NEWBORNS IN SIX MONTHS!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MQH78qlkzNu4Se3S69fHNAc8D64n4q2fMXZbjmYg9coOs2O0r4-nzN7e59SV893jVAKXcjQqvDqWrKSbIXCa59Dz9Q-5MA5fdWeJneWv_QNbZse2yvAT0tvvooloEG9G_86KEpY9-4g/s1600/aromo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MQH78qlkzNu4Se3S69fHNAc8D64n4q2fMXZbjmYg9coOs2O0r4-nzN7e59SV893jVAKXcjQqvDqWrKSbIXCa59Dz9Q-5MA5fdWeJneWv_QNbZse2yvAT0tvvooloEG9G_86KEpY9-4g/s1600/aromo.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sr. Doreen a midwife at Lira Regional Referral Hospital showing a new mother (seated on bed) how to take care of a newborn baby. Photo taken by Senfuka Samuel during a health facility assessment of EmONC at Aromo HC III, October 2013</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Senfuka Samuel<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">WRA Uganda<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="mailto:bsenfuka@gmail.com/info@wrauganda.org"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">bsenfuka@gmail.com/info@wrauganda.org</span></a></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Management of pregnancy
and labour is vital for the survival of a pregnant woman and her unborn baby or
newborn. This requires a functional health system to meet the needs of both a
pregnant woman and the baby. The system should have emergency life-saving
medicines; well trained and motivated health workers like midwives, doctors and theater staff;
functional theater to conduct caesarean sections and safe blood transfusions;
sufficient supplies and necessary equipment among others. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">During a meeting on 13<sup>th</sup> February 2014 convened by </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Uganda (WRA Uganda)</span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">with Lira
district medicines and health supplies procurement and management team headed
by the District Health Officer, it was disclosed that in the 1</span><sup style="line-height: 115%;">st</sup><span style="line-height: 115%;"> and
2</span><sup style="line-height: 115%;">nd</sup><span style="line-height: 115%;"> quarter of FY 2013/14, the district officially </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">conducted 5,139 deliveries. However, over the </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">same period of time the district </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">recorded 6
maternal deaths and 184 neonatal deaths of which over 80% were stillbirths (both fresh and macerated)! </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">These deaths go on quietly yet many of them would have been averted if the</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> Government boldly allocated sufficient funds
to fulfill its commitment to fully equip Health Centres III and IV with sufficient
medicines and supplies for Antenatal Care (focused ANC); Emergency Obstetric
and Newborn care (EmONC) medicines and supplies; motivated health workers and
the tools they need to provide effective emergency care. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In October 2013, WRA Uganda together with the District Health Officer (DHO) and his team, leaders
and community members conducted a health facility assessment in all the nine
(9) government health centres in the district to establish the status of
emergency obstetric and newborn care services and the findings correlate well
with the maternal and neonatal situation in the district. As a result and willingness to change the
ugly maternal and neonatal situation in Lira, the DHO has made a decision and proposed an
allocation of Ushs. 100,000,000 million to renovate the only two theaters at
Ogur and Amach HC IVs in FY 2014/2015 so that pregnant women who face obstetric
complications can be saved. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To further show his willingness to improve maternal and newborn health,
the DHO pledged to prioritize the funds for procurement of equipment in FY
2014/2015 based on the gaps identified during the health facility assessment.
This pledge was made during a meeting with district medicines and supplies
procurement and management team convened by WRA Uganda and its members in Lira
district under “ACT NOW TO SAVE MOTHERS” Campaign. The purpose of the meeting
was to </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">discuss
the prioritization of essential medicines, supplies and equipment for EmONC in
the district procurement plan in FY 2014/2015. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrbYrH9PAa8gCqm6U-KTPw5Q2t8xSxI0pGjFyFsYEDW_SdKDIGlmldWbl7Ev1pl6D5IKOfz6XOawnTXxEPlXMJtj_eAWrzhc0rCSrddY3nMA9KyPMERQ5fahIlkv7WS_V0FOtgPqrHcI/s1600/Lira.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrbYrH9PAa8gCqm6U-KTPw5Q2t8xSxI0pGjFyFsYEDW_SdKDIGlmldWbl7Ev1pl6D5IKOfz6XOawnTXxEPlXMJtj_eAWrzhc0rCSrddY3nMA9KyPMERQ5fahIlkv7WS_V0FOtgPqrHcI/s1600/Lira.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A section of members of Lira district medicines and health supplies procurement and management team chaired by Assistant DHO (MCH) during a group work session (Group One) on developing a procurement plan. Photo taken by Senfuka Samuel during the meeting at Lira district </span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the WRA
Uganda EmONC health facility assessment report only 3 out of 9 health centres
had resuscitation devices for the newborns making it difficult for midwives to
resuscitate babies with breathing complications at birth. Only 4 out of 9 health
centres had blood pressure machines despite the fact that high blood pressure
is one of the direct causes of maternal deaths in Uganda contributing about 6%. Only 4 out of 9 health centres had a complete delivery instrument set making
management of delivery complicated. In addition all the 9 facilities were found
with no running/piped water in their maternity undermining safe and clean
births.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">According to National
Medical Stores an authority mandated to procure and distribute medicines and
supplies for all government health centres, Ushs. 3,600,000 and 10,000,000 is
allocated to HC IIIs and IVs respectively for medicines and supplies for a
period of two months. Districts experience stock-outs of some medicines and
supplies partly due to the limited budget in which they operate vis-à-vis the
actual demand. This calls for regular review of the budget allocations to
reflect the needs and demand from local governments. Ministry of health needs to popularize the newly adopted medicines like misoprostol</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">, chlorhexidine for disinfecting newborn cords etc at the district level health service providers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">The current maternal and neonatal health situation in Lira gives us a glimpse of what may be happening in other parts of the country. Th</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">e recently launched Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) Sharpened Plan (2013-2017) by ministry of health in November 2013 identified
labor and delivery management as doable evidence based high impact intervention
to reduce both maternal and child mortality by averting or saving 4,262
and 13,533 maternal and child deaths respectively over the plan’s time-frame. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">This therefore requires our health centres to be with readily available and accessible basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care services to meet such targets. If we are to walk the talk, ministry of health should therefore request ministry of finance to allocate sufficient funds so that such priorities are reflected in the budget allocations which eventually trickles down to districts for delivery of health services. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">It's equally important that strong accountability mechanisms should exist and put to function to ensure proper utilization of allocated funds.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#ActNowToSaveMothers</span></span></div>
<br />WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-72161764175295282172014-01-02T06:24:00.001-08:002014-01-02T06:24:08.416-08:00Lira health centres rely on rain water – WRA Study<strong style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">By Patrick Okino</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #7b8f9f; font-family: oswald; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; text-transform: capitalize;">Publish Date: Dec 22, 2013</span><br />
Source: <a href="http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/650759-lira-health-centres-rely-on-rain-water-study.html">http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/650759-lira-health-centres-rely-on-rain-water-study.html</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;"><strong>Serious water and power shortages in health facilities present a massive problem in labor wards in Lira district, where birth attendants are forced to use phones and lamps at night during the process of child delivery.</strong></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">A study by White Ribbon Alliance (WRA), an NGO, found that health facilities rely on water from the wells, boreholes and also rain water.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">Among the health centres involved in the survey were Bar, Aromo, Amach, Agali, Ongica, Barapwo and Ober in Lira.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">The report revealed that none of the health centres involved in the study had running water, a huge constraint to the flow of activity in the centres.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">Absence of piped water therefore means infection control is greatly constrained.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">In five out of the nine health centres surveyed, workers reported using personal mobile phone torches as backup for lighting during delivery of mothers at night.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">Two birth attendants said they used hurricane lamps and three admitted they had no form of power backup.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">The project manager, Senfuka Samuel presented the report to Lira regional referral hospital at the close of this week.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">Lira district speaker, Ocen Odyek, LC3 chairpersons, sub-county chiefs, district councilors and health workers attended the presentation of the report.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">Six of the health facilities harvest rain water for regular use, seven use boreholes while others rely on wells or hire people to collect water for them, revealed the report.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">One midwife from Bar health centre, Betty Akullo said they risk getting infections any time because of shortage of water in the delivery ward.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">Acute shortage of water and power at the lower levels is putting more pressure on the referral units.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">Senior principal nursing officer at Lira regional referral hospital, Petrua Kiboko says patients are overwhelming referral units in the region because of the problems at the health centres.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #414141; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: -0.014666667208075523px; line-height: 20.53125px;">The main hospital too runs out of the power sometimes, and has to use generators as backup, with a consumption of about 24 litres per hour.</span>WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-71390442556166972682013-12-13T09:18:00.000-08:002013-12-13T09:47:31.097-08:00LIRA COMMUNITY MEMBERS PETITION THE DISTRICT COUNCIL OVER LOW LEVEL OF EMERGENCY HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR PREGNANT WOMEN<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Patrick Ogwang</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">WRA Uganda (WRA Lira District Media Coordinator)</span></i></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6akx1YuDS3uKyFihvPRSgR9h7ex1dyjYMlagPS_HGhxy13EvsFL6SWsm3VGx_UFQ7cUJ8wdaUBnNBrkOoCNJiQm_xmim3yjWajHnF6pUxNMqT4HfNTTIClter0_HLostjPKCXI63NHC0/s1600/Photo+1-WRA's+Tommy+Ojan+Egits+presenting+the+petition+at+World+AIDS+Day+Lira+District+commomeration+event+at+Amach+Sub-county+headqurters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6akx1YuDS3uKyFihvPRSgR9h7ex1dyjYMlagPS_HGhxy13EvsFL6SWsm3VGx_UFQ7cUJ8wdaUBnNBrkOoCNJiQm_xmim3yjWajHnF6pUxNMqT4HfNTTIClter0_HLostjPKCXI63NHC0/s400/Photo+1-WRA's+Tommy+Ojan+Egits+presenting+the+petition+at+World+AIDS+Day+Lira+District+commomeration+event+at+Amach+Sub-county+headqurters.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Tommy Ojan Egits presenting the petition </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">at </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Amach </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sub-county headquarters </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">during </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Lira District </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">World AIDS </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Day commemoration </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">White Ribbon alliance Lira in collaboration
with residents from the two sub county of Ogur and Amach petitioned Lira District
Local Government to allocate a budget in the financial year 2014-2015 to
support Emergency obstetric and newborn care services at health center s III
and IV. The petition signed by over 1000 community members was presented to the
District Council through the District Speaker.</span></div>
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While handing over the petition to
the district leaders at the commemoration of World Aids Day district event at
Amach sub county headquarter, Tommy Ojan Egit who is a WRA Lira member and
newly elected representative at the WRA Uganda board said that the petition
followed an assessment by White Ribbon Alliance, leaders and community members carried
out in all the health facilities at level of III and IV in Lira with the
indicator that none of the two HC IVs is able to provide comprehensive
emergency obstetric and newborn care services due to theater functionality
issues.</div>
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Ojan further stressed that
shortage of running water, power and non-functional theaters at Ogur and Amach
HC IVs, stock-outs of injectable drugs for basic obstetric complications,
inadequate resuscitation devices, lack of blood pressure machines and
incomplete delivery instruments among others has put the lives of pregnant
women and their newborns at risk since most of them are referred to the main
regional referral hospital which is far away from them.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjly_vpYec2Wi0n7TEG0xZwBBkHNDksmtUC3sx_u2lq6UQC0Un2iYUncoSDqEAHghVie-2aYpF9FjYAtRYjqCdd00aR6gz-Pe-wXzEoOk6P9szzKf5hsT_msq3uhwwG0pcbohWgcJF6720/s1600/Photo2-Tommy+Ojan+Egits+handingover+EmONC+petition+to+Lira+District+Vice+Chairperson+at+Amach+Sub-county+headquarters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjly_vpYec2Wi0n7TEG0xZwBBkHNDksmtUC3sx_u2lq6UQC0Un2iYUncoSDqEAHghVie-2aYpF9FjYAtRYjqCdd00aR6gz-Pe-wXzEoOk6P9szzKf5hsT_msq3uhwwG0pcbohWgcJF6720/s400/Photo2-Tommy+Ojan+Egits+handingover+EmONC+petition+to+Lira+District+Vice+Chairperson+at+Amach+Sub-county+headquarters.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Tommy Ojan Egits handing-over EmONC petition to Lira District </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Vice Chairperson </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">at Amach </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sub-county headquarters</span></div>
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“The petition requested the
district officials to allocate sufficient funds for emergency care services in
the financial year 2014-2015 in an attempt to reduce the death rate of women in
childbirth. The White Ribbon Alliance is not an NGO but Alliance whose aims are
to advocate for safe motherhood.” Said Tommy</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Mr. Andrew Ogwang Oyang the
District Vice Chairman and the leader of government while receiving the
petition on behalf of the District Speaker and the council thanked The White
Ribbon Alliance for their effort of carrying out an assessment saying it has
helped a lot the district to get documented information for planning. The
Chairperson promised to handle the petition with urgency it deserves so that
the issues raised are considered in the district budget.</span></div>
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Subsequently, on 6<sup>th</sup>
December 2013, The White Ribbon Alliance members held a meeting with the
members of the district committee for health and education to further advocate
for prioritization of emergency obstetric care services in the district budget.
Mr. Moses Ogwang Adonyo the Chairperson of health and education committee said that
his committee will make sure the report findings are brought to council for
further scrutiny and approval so that a budget is allocated in the financial
year 2014-2015.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkat3b4qURLB4culNpW4DxydmsmFFEhGf4nbl0J6vAfJajpCZgUnsUuu45XYuy7KXRkLlcGOicOgXX4R9mJdZ2YtZISVUZ4SLhZkxxJitaANWUXD0jButRRR7_P_-kBe3YP1VMXDrMxrA/s1600/Photo3-WRA+Lira+and+community+members+march+during+World+AIDS+Day+district+commomeration+event+at+Amach+Sub-county+headquarters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkat3b4qURLB4culNpW4DxydmsmFFEhGf4nbl0J6vAfJajpCZgUnsUuu45XYuy7KXRkLlcGOicOgXX4R9mJdZ2YtZISVUZ4SLhZkxxJitaANWUXD0jButRRR7_P_-kBe3YP1VMXDrMxrA/s400/Photo3-WRA+Lira+and+community+members+march+during+World+AIDS+Day+district+commomeration+event+at+Amach+Sub-county+headquarters.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">WRA Lira and community members march during World AIDS Day commemoration<br />event at Amach Sub-county headquarters, Lira </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">district before presenting their petition</span></td></tr>
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The petition is part of a series
of activities under the accountability campaign code named ACT NOW TO SAVE
MOTHERS coordinated by The White Ribbon Alliance Uganda in three districts of Lira,
Mityana and Kabale aimed at asking Government of Uganda to uphold its
commitment of increasing comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care in
all health centres IV from 17% to 50% and ensuring that basic emergency obstetric and newborn care is
available in all health centres before its target timeline of 2015. #ActNowToSaveMothers</div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-70761338279968915672013-12-05T00:17:00.002-08:002014-01-04T07:14:31.015-08:00ACT NOW TO SAVE MOTHERS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zmsd5wpvk2RjTdc_i6HV4PQHdxr5rYgNYpqeVAzbwgRhtE7fNfw94WmpIJeG2kkoSRtOzLXQyLb-6Ib4NwsPu7YkU8x2J0SSKi9ZhSX-UT4T04wGzHEqzJ7di8D5ZUbouxNktoZKLM4/s1600/WRA+Kabale+petitions+district+over+poor+health+services.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zmsd5wpvk2RjTdc_i6HV4PQHdxr5rYgNYpqeVAzbwgRhtE7fNfw94WmpIJeG2kkoSRtOzLXQyLb-6Ib4NwsPu7YkU8x2J0SSKi9ZhSX-UT4T04wGzHEqzJ7di8D5ZUbouxNktoZKLM4/s640/WRA+Kabale+petitions+district+over+poor+health+services.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-30851004064547078312013-12-02T10:41:00.003-08:002014-01-04T07:22:40.568-08:00White Ribbon Alliance Members in Kabale Petition District Speaker over Low Status of Emergency Obstetric Care in the District<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyN7f6pZFm-pHhRE0HQCl-RNPlGQf093E92ECZayqwBhiR_mU7GXVTjHQ7daAQnTFICWGaD_zu_UbGlZylDSpAdBc1i6Y6ug-zU7hIQ_TctW7gtCWvh2Qo2VNdV4rV3KUSU77eVsDZhiA/s640/Kab1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Members pose for a photo after presenting and handover a petition to <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17.994068145751953px; text-align: start;">Hon. Twinomuhangi Pastoli, Kabale District Council Speaker at his office.</span></span><br />
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<i><b>By Robert Muhereza</b></i></div>
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<i><b>WRA Kigezi, Media coordinator</b></i><br />
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<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45,"tn":"*G"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; outline: none; width: auto;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Today December 2, 2013 White Ribbon Alliance Uganda-Kabale district and community members joined by district councilors petitioned the District Speaker Hon. Twinomuhangi Pastoli on the LOW STATUS OF EMERGENCY OBSTETRIC AND NEWBORN CARE SERVICES IN KABALE HEALTH CENTRES IV AND III. After the damning findings of the health facility assessment of emergency obstetric care status conducted by White Ribbon Alliance, District Health Office, community members and leaders, members are asking their district council and leadership to prioritize funding for EmONC in FY 2014/15. The Speaker pledged to table the petition before the district council for discussion and consideration of the issues contained in the petition.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.731481552124023px; line-height: 17.994068145751953px;">Members will meet the district Standing Committee of Health to discuss further and advocate for prioritization of making theaters at HC IVs function. All the 7 health centre IVs of Kabale do not provide C-sections and blood transfusion due to lack of medical officers. </span></span></div>
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<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45,"tn":"*G"}" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; outline: none; width: auto;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Join WRA advocacy campaign in Kabale to Save the lives of many pregant women in Kabale- <a class="_58cn" data-ft="{"tn":"*N","type":104}" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/actnowtosavemothers" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">#ActNowToSaveMothers</a></span></span><span class="fbPhotoTagList" id="fbPhotoSnowliftTagList" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="fcg" style="color: grey;"> </span></span></div>
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WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7029768121253985812.post-86456879894685517062013-11-28T03:52:00.001-08:002013-11-28T07:06:09.431-08:00Accessing Services at Ogur Health Centre IV: A Journey into Hell!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">For our esteemed visitors and readers of this blog page, Bill Oketch a Journalist based in Lango sub region treats you to yet another article about the status of life saving services at Ogur HC IV, Lira district. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">I hope those who </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.731481552124023px; line-height: 17.994068145751953px;">understand Luo it will be provoking, insightful and swing you into a discussion and action.</span></div>
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<br />WRA-Ugandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398625254369799110noreply@blogger.com0