INTRODUCTION

Every 11 seconds, a pregnant woman or newborn dies, according to UNICEF, underscoring a global crisis in maternal and neonatal health.  Most of these deaths are preventable, and 94 percent occur in lower-income countries, like those located in sub-Saharan Africa, where babies are ten times more likely to die in their first few weeks compared to higher-income countries. In response to this pressing issue, in 2022, Anike Foundation  worked with  Partners in Community Social Action (PICSA) Uganda to receive a grant for birthing kits from the Birthing Kit Foundation (Australia). The birthing kits allowed women in the Moyo District in northern Uganda to deliver babies in a clean and safe environment. The women who received birthing kits also benefited from education through community dialogue regarding the importance of delivering at a health facility. This newfound knowledge empowers women by equipping them with a deeper understanding of the dangers associated with unhygienic deliveries. 

WHO ARE PARTNERS IN COMMUNITY SOCIAL ACTION (PICSA) UGANDA?

PICSA Uganda is a community-based and national, non-governmental organization founded in 2016 that aims to promote and contribute to health, education and living standard improvements in vulnerable communities by implementing quality, modern, innovative interventions in partnership with the local communities. Specifically, PICSA Uganda aims to increase access to primary health care services, reduce malnutrition and food security, increase access to quality education, water, and sanitation services, and enhance women’s rights. 

WHAT IS THE “BIRTHING KITS FROM AUSTRALIA” PROJECT?

The Birthing Kit Foundation provides birthing kits to women around the world to prevent childbirth-related infections and improve health outcomes for mothers and babies by removing barriers and supporting mothers to access health services. Each kit includes gloves to keep hands clean and prevent the spread of infection; a plastic sheet to prevent the mother and infant from having contact with unclean surfaces; soap for washing; a sterile blade to cut the umbilical cord; cord ties to tie the umbilical cord; and gauze for cleaning the mother and newborn.  Each item in the Birthing Kit, according to the Foundation, works to reduce infections at key high-risk moments of care during labor, birth and immediately post-birth for the mother, newborn and birth attendant. Birthing kits are normally distributed to pregnant women during their 8th visit of antenatal care, their 8th or 9th month of pregnancy, or at childbirth.

Between July 2022 and June 2023, Birthing Kit Foundation Australia shipped 800 hundred clean birthing kits to PICSA Uganda. All 800 birthing kits were distributed to vulnerable mothers and remote facilities, including the Moyo General Hospital. These kits have saved the lives of many adolescent girls, including Mazira Gladys, a 16-year-old girl who dropped out of school due to pregnancy. 

““Life became very hard when the man I was forced to marry due to pregnancy abandoned me with his grandmother who had nothing to support me... I spent most of my time digging in the garden to get food but no money for going to the health centre and I feared meeting my family. Thanks to Birthing Kit Australia as I was able to have a clean birth and restore a smile on my face.”— Mazira Gladys

PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS

As a result of the distribution of birthing kits, the number of mothers who delivered babies in medical facilities compared to home births increased slightly. The number of preventable infections following deliveries also decreased. 

MOVING FORWARD

PICSA Uganda’s achievements can continue to grow with continued support. Ideally, mothers and women will continue to gain education regarding the dangers associated with unhygienic deliveries and start to produce birthing kits locally in Uganda to avoid shortages in communities that need them. This will increase and boost timely supply and help provide necessary materials required for clean delivery. With continued support, PICSA Uganda believes it will be able to sell clean birthing kits at a low cost, thereby creating a revolving fund to supply locally-made birthing kits in Uganda. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Thanks to Anike Foundation, Birthing Kits Australia, and the hard work of PICSA Uganda, knowledge of the dangers associated with delivering a baby under poor hygienic conditions is growing; however, more help is needed. Please consider supplementing PICSA Uganda’s efforts to improve maternal and neonatal health, educate mothers, and empower women by clicking the “Donate” button at the bottom of this page.