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Bukedi Subregion, Eastern Uganda

Details

READING TIME

5 min

CATEGORY

News

AUTHOR

Africhan

TOPIC

Training

AfriCHAN Trains 120 Health Workers in Maternal & Newborn Health Across Eastern Uganda

The African Centre for Health and Nutrition (AfriCHAN) has completed a major capacity-building initiative aimed at improving maternal and newborn health outcomes across Eastern Uganda. A total of 120 health workers—including midwives, nurses, clinical officers, and Village Health Teams (VHTs)—participated in an intensive training program focusing on safe motherhood, newborn care, and evidence-based clinical practices. The training is part of AfriCHAN’s ongoing commitment to strengthening health systems through skills development, updated clinical guidelines, and community-level health empowerment.

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Backgroud

Maternal and newborn mortality rates in Uganda remain a public health challenge. Many cases are preventable with: Skilled birth attendants Timely referrals Up-to-date clinical skills Proper newborn care Community education AfriCHAN designed this training to bridge skills gaps identified through previous research and district assessments.

Training Components

Safe Delivery Practices

Health workers were trained in: Managing normal deliveries Recognizing danger signs Active management of the third stage of labor Preventing postpartum hemorrhage Infection prevention techniques Practical simulations allowed participants to practice using mannequins and standardized scenarios.

Breastfeeding & Infant Nutrition Counselling

Participants were trained to provide mothers with: Exclusive breastfeeding guidance Complementary feeding education Community follow-up strategies Handling breastfeeding challenges This ensures mothers receive consistent and accurate nutrition information.

Early Newborn Care

The segment on newborn care emphasized: Thermal protection Proper breastfeeding initiation Care for pre-term babies Newborn resuscitation practices Monitoring and documentation AfriCHAN provided newborn care charts to support accurate assessments.

Data Reporting & Health Information Management

To improve health outcomes, strong data systems are essential. Training included: Digital and manual reporting tools Monitoring growth patterns Referral documentation Community health tracking AfriCHAN introduced simplified data forms for VHTs to enhance reporting accuracy.

Impact of the Training

The training has already created measurable improvements: Increased confidence among health workers More accurate diagnosis and referral Enhanced newborn resuscitation readiness Improved breastfeeding counselling Strengthened facility-community collaboration District health officials praised AfriCHAN for delivering a training that combines theory, practice, and real-world application.

Conclusion

AfriCHAN’s training initiative is a powerful step toward reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths in Uganda. By empowering health workers with updated skills, the organization is helping build a stronger, more reliable healthcare system.

Call to Action

AfriCHAN invites partners, donors, and stakeholders to support continued health worker training across Uganda.