2017: a YEAR in REVIEW “What Counts in Life Is Not the Mere Fact That We Have Lived
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2017: A YEAR IN REVIEW “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” – Nelson Mandela, South African leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. 2 Save the Mothers - 2017 in Review Save the Mothers - 2017 in Review 3 OUR MISSION Our Mission To train local leaders in the developing world to reduce maternal mortality within their own countries. Our Vision That no mother or child should die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Our Belief Access to quality maternal care in pregnancy and childbirth is a basic human right. Save the Mothers - 2017 in Review 5 A REPORT FROM THE EAST AFRICAN DIRECTOR I took on the role of East African Director (part-time) on February 1, 2017, transi- tioning into full time leadership in mid-April when Dr. Jean returned to Canada. Stepping into Dr. Jean’s shoes has been a significant challenge, as I have adjusted to steering an NGO with two diverse programs, the Master of Public Health Leader- ship program and the Mother Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. First, it was necessary to grasp the academic culture, and the reality of so many people looking to me for direction and guidance. Although I was a senior technical manager previously, taking on the role of East African Director is more one of being a CEO or chief accounting officer and human resource manager all in one. Juggling the roles was not easy, until I realized that all around me were the university staff and board members who could so easily guide me on key policy issues. Ours is a strong team of staff players in maternal health. I’d like to pull our alumni into supporting more visibly the Mother Baby Friendly Hospital facilities. My goals for 2017/18 are: To establish High Dependency Units (intensive care units specially designed to care for critically ill mothers) in every one of the 10 Mother Baby Friendly Hospital facilities. To increase Save the Mothers’ partnerships with other or- ganizations and initiatives, such as the new medical school at the Uganda Christian University where STM is based. To develop our research capacity to publish articles that have a significant impact on maternal child health in the region. These articles should be published every year from both faculty and graduating students. “This country needs Dr. Miriam Mutabazi to be convinced that East African Director the lives of women and their children are important and ought to be protected.” – Dr. Florence Mirembe, Save the Mothers East Africa Board Chair 6 Save the Mothers - 2017 in Review A REPORT ON THE MOTHER BABY FRIENDLY HOSPITAL INITIATIVE The Mother Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (MBFHI) was introduced in 2011 to address needs of health facilities that are working with few resources and little guidance to save mothers’ lives. With 10 partner MBFHI hospitals, this initiative is based on a 10- step model that aims to provide the highest quality maternal and neonatal care to women and babies in the developing world through increasing capacity, capitalizing on available technologies, and engaging communities and Save the Mothers other partners. Save the Mothers believes in gains a new partner respectful and dignified care for mothers and health facility: their babies and knows that health workers cannot provide this kind of care without Tororo Hospital ongoing support. In the past year, Save the Mothers gained a new monitoring system, a wheelchair, pharmacy fridge, STM continued its partnerships with university expanded to nine facilities including Buikwe, Kawolo, partner health facility: Tororo Hospital. Launched at the three IV stands, a medicine cabinet, electric suction graduates and students in Canada and the U.S. to Naggalama, Nakaseke, Tororo, Mubende, Mityana and International Women’s Day event in Tororo, the entire machine, boots, plastic aprons, trash bin, partitions/ host one summer intern and two academic interns. Mbale Hospitals, as well as Mukono Health Centre IV. STM team celebrated the new partnership alongside screens, and a nursing station with chairs for medical In addition to supporting a series of international This year, the STM team conducted a research study students and faculty from Uganda Christian University, personnel. STM provided additional mentorship and interns, two Global Health Corps (GHC) fellows were evaluating the effectiveness of community drives in dignitaries from the Uganda Ministry of Health and training enabling both hospitals to effectively utilize the placed as fundraising and development officers as a promoting the use and availability of its toll-free line over 400 members of the community. This exciting HDUs to save high risk mothers and their babies from part of an ongoing partnership with GHC since 2015. service. Results of the study showed an increase in new partnership will allow us to mentor midwives and preventable death. The fellows assisted in expanding the capacity of the use of those toll-free lines to health institutions that build capacity to support healthy moms and babies. STM programming, with a primary focus on MBFHI participate in community drives. A key component of the MBFHI program is clinical activities, as well as building financial support for During the reporting period, Save the Mothers mentorship and training for our partner facilities. the organization. Interns and fellows are essential to Dr. Eve Nakabembe Director, Mother Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative installed pilot High Dependency Units (HDUs) in This year, special emphasis was placed on training programs at STM. They bring innovative ideas and two of its partner facilities: Mityana and Nakaseke physicians to safely give anesthesia, particularly unique skill sets needed to strengthen and expand our hospitals. An HDU is a room within the maternity through the use of previously donated equipment, impact in the lives of moms and babies in East Africa. ward of a hospital that is designated for mothers with which the health workers did not know how to use. life-threatening complications—high blood pressure, Can you imagine a $300,000 machine sitting under Since 2011, STM through the MBFHI has worked on ruptured uterus, severe malaria, or hemorrhages—to plastic and unused because the staff don’t know an effective outreach program to connect vulnerable be intensely monitored for 24 to 48 hours following how to use it? This machine was donated by another mothers with quality healthcare facilities through the delivery. With the support of generous donors, we international donor, but the loop to ensure it was being use of toll-free telephone lines. Community members equipped each HDU with three adult beds, one used safely wasn’t completed until Save the Mothers can call the line anytime, any day and speak to a health neonatal bed, a patient monitoring system with pulse stepped in. worker at no cost. From the initial pilot of this service in oximeter, two blood pressure machines, a glucose four MBFHI health facilities, our toll-free line service has 8 Save the Mothers - 2017 in Review Save the Mothers - 2017 in Review 9 STUDENT TUT THOMAS SIMON “The happiest Clinician, Public Health Officer PROFILES people are not those getting more, but those Tut Thomas Simon graduated from the Save the Mothers giving more.” program in June 2017. He is a clinician and public health officer from South Sudan, a country ravaged by endless ― H. Jackson Brown Jr., conflict. Three civil wars have devastated his homeland’s Author. health and social infrastructure. Most public-sector services have been eroded, abandoned or replaced by what many people see as unsustainable external humanitarian relief. Two- thirds of health facilities in conflict-affected areas are closed or operating at limited capacity. Tut has experienced the disruption firsthand. “This situation has led to the displacement of many people from their homes,” he says, adding that he first came to Uganda as a refugee. Cut off from basic services and healthcare, pregnant women are particularly vulnerable. “After working for seven years in clinical medical practice, I was looking for a change in direction, something that “The Save the would bring more meaning to the lives of the women in South Sudan and address their reproductive Mothers program issues and other related health problems,” he says. “The Save the Mothers program has been has been a truly a truly inspirational experience. The course has inspirational given me an in-depth understanding of the global issues and challenges surrounding reproductive experience.” and sexual health among women.” - Tut Thomas Simon Tut is now advocating to change entrenched cultural beliefs surrounding the lack of women’s rights, gender-based violence, and male involvement in South Sudan. He provides leadership in the training of new health care workers, and lobbies for resources to help save the lives of thousands of women. 10 Save the Mothers - 2017 in Review 11 TONNY KAPSANDUI JANE MULUMBA NABUNNYA Director of Programs, Uganda County Office Journalist, Policy Analyst “I have always been interested in making a difference in the Jane, 47, is a journalist and policy analyst who graduated from lives of mothers and their children—in Uganda and beyond,” Save the Mothers’ Master of Public Health Leadership (MPHL) says Tonny Kapsandui, 38. A medical doctor, Tonny knows program in February 2016. She came to the STM program that more than 6,000 Ugandan mothers die from preventable she says, because she wanted to gain a better understanding pregnancy complications each year. “Uganda Christian of the factors that lead to maternal death. She also wanted to University’s Save the Mothers Master of Public Health learn how to better use her communications background to Leadership program provides me with the greatest opportunity address maternal health challenges.