Yesterday, Doctors with Africa CUAMM, together with the Embassy of Ireland and the Ugandan Ministry of Health, inaugurated the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the St. Kizito Hospital in Matany in Karamoja, north-eastern Uganda.
Another important step for this region, which continues to be the poorest in the country and has the lowest socio-health indicators, and where access to health services remains a major challenge. Access to neonatal care is too: «in Karamoja there is an average of 550 perinatal deaths per year, of which 160 are neonatal deaths, many of them preventable. One of the main causes is the absence or poor functionality of neonatal units, often lacking in infrastructure or adequate equipment and qualified health personnel» reports Lilly Achayo, Cuamm project leader.
«There are still many newborn babies who lose their lives in Karamoja due to different causes and NICU is instrumental in saving them. I would first like to thank the health workers who work with commitment and dedication in such a complex context. I thank Doctors with Africa CUAMM and the Embassy of Ireland because this intervention will allow neonatal and paediatric cases to be managed differently, generating a positive impact on the entire region» added Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of the Ugandan Ministry of Health.
The construction of the NICU in Matany is in addition to the support that CUAMM provides, thanks to Irish Aid, to ensure the functionality of Neonatal Intensive Care Units in three other hospitals in the region – Moroto, Kaabong and Abim. It does this through the development of adequate infrastructure, capacity building of staff and the provision of necessary equipment.
«The new NICU represents a milestone in the 20 years of service of the Embassy of Ireland in Karamoja. We are proud and grateful for the valuable partnerships with CUAMM and the Ugandan Ministry of Health» said Irish Ambassador Kevin Colgan.
The action is part of a broader intervention to strengthen the region’s health system at all levels, to help improve access to and quality of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent reproductive health services (RMNCAH).
Activities focus on strengthening the capacity of district health management teams, in particular data analysis, planning and monitoring of services. Investment is then made in improving the clinical competence and skills of health workers in the management of RMNCAH services, with a focus on sexual and gender-based violence. Among the main objectives is the improvement of interventions aimed at adolescents, including the adoption of contraceptives and the prevention of teenage pregnancy. Finally, one component of the intervention concerns improving capacities for the collection, storage, distribution and use of safe blood and blood components.
This is a very wide-ranging intervention, which reiterates CUAMM’s commitment to the different levels of the health system and with a special focus on the care of newborn babies. Because taking care of the health of the youngest, is taking care of the health of the country.
