WHO · UNICEF · UN IGME 2024← All Countries

🇺🇬

Maternal & Child Mortality
in Uganda

East Africa · #22 of 30 worst globally

Child Deaths Since Jan 1, 2026

0

58.2 per 1,000 live births · Uganda

Deaths at Birth Today

0

est. newborns today

Infant Mortality Rate

58.2

per 1,000 · 2.2× world avg

Maternal Mortality Rate

284

per 100,000 · 1.4× world avg

East Africa

Birth Mortality Crisis

Mothers & Newborns
Dying in Uganda
During Childbirth

284 maternal deaths per 100,000 — Uganda's relatively lower rate reflects significant investment in 170,000 community health workers.

Newborn & Infant Mortality

58.2deaths per 1,000 live births

2.2× the world average

Maternal Mortality During Birth

284deaths per 100,000 live births

1.4× the world average

👶

Newborn & Child Deaths During Birth in Uganda

Uganda has been an HIV control success story — prevalence dropped from 18% in the 1990s to ~5% today. The north, affected by the Lord's Resistance Army until 2006, continues to have worse outcomes.

Steady improvement since 2000. Uganda is one of few sub-Saharan countries on a credible path toward SDG targets.

Leading Causes of Child Death at Birth

Neonatal causes27%

Malaria26%

Pneumonia14%

Diarrhoea12%

HIV/AIDS6%

Other15%

* Neonatal deaths (first 28 days) represent the largest share of under-5 mortality.

What Happens in the Delivery Room

🏥

Births in a health facility~82%

estimated — lower in conflict/rural areas

👩‍⚕️

Skilled birth attendant present~50%

doctor, midwife or trained nurse

⚠️

Neonatal deaths (first 28 days)48%

of all under-5 deaths occur at birth

🩸

Most preventable with skilled care~75%

of child and maternal deaths

🤱

Maternal Mortality During Birth in Uganda

Uganda's Village Health Team programme — 170,000 trained community health workers — has been transformative for rural maternal care. However, the anti-homosexuality law (2023) has caused significant aid withdrawal.

Consistent improvement over 20 years. 2023 anti-gay law risks cutting external health funding.

Causes of Death During Labour & Delivery

Haemorrhage26%

Eclampsia20%

Sepsis17%

Obstructed labour15%

HIV in pregnancy10%

Other12%

* Haemorrhage and eclampsia together cause over 50% of deaths — both are treatable with basic skilled care.

Why Mothers Die at Birth Here

🩺

Emergency obstetric care availableLimited

few facilities can manage haemorrhage

🩸

Blood transfusion accessCritical gap

haemorrhage kills within 2 hours

💊

Magnesium sulphate (eclampsia)Often absent

costs $1 — saves lives instantly

✅

If skilled care were universal~75% fewer deaths

WHO estimate for this mortality level

⚠️

Why Is This Still Happening?

Structural Barriers to Safe Birth in Uganda

HIV success story — 5% prevalence still drives maternal deaths

High fertility rate (4.7) creating large absolute burden

2023 anti-homosexuality law causing international aid withdrawal

LRA legacy — northern Uganda still recovering

🎯

SDG 3 Progress Assessment

Uganda is one of few countries in the region on a credible SDG trajectory, though political decisions risk derailing progress.

💡

Prevention & Solutions

How Can We Prevent This in Uganda?

📍 The Situation

Uganda has made significant progress on maternal mortality and has a relatively active global health research environment. Several POCUS implementation studies have been conducted in Uganda by Makerere University and international partners, providing a strong evidence base.

🔬 How Ultrasound Helps

Uganda is, in many ways, a model for what a scaled POCUS program can look like. Pilot programs have shown that midwives trained in basic OB POCUS in a 5-day intensive course can accurately identify malpresentation, placenta previa, and gestational age — and that this capability meaningfully changes referral patterns and outcomes.

🎓 The Training Gap

The challenge in Uganda is not proof of concept — it is national scale-up. Training through GUSI's structured curriculum and certification process, recognized by national health authorities, would support that transition from successful pilots to nationwide standard of care.

What a trained provider can detect with a portable ultrasound device

🩸Placenta previa

🔄Malpresentation

👥Twin pregnancy

📉Fetal growth restriction

⚡Pre-eclampsia markers

🫁Childhood pneumonia

💉Internal bleeding

🧠Hydrocephalus

🧮

Interactive Model

POCUS Impact Calculator — Uganda

Model based on: 600 scans/provider/year · 15% high-risk detection rate · 47% mortality reduction for detected cases (Swanson et al. 2014 · WHO POCUS in LMICs review)

Number of POCUS-trained providers deployed in Uganda50

1 provider250500 providers

Scans per Year

30,000

pregnant women screened

High-Risk Detected

4,500

flagged for referral / intervention

Maternal Deaths Prevented

19

mothers saved per year

Newborn Deaths Prevented

47

babies saved per year

Total Lives Saved Per Year

66deaths prevented

1.3

lives per provider

$375

est. cost per life saved

$24,750

total training investment

* This calculator uses a conservative evidence-based model. Actual impact varies by deployment context, provider experience, and health system capacity. Training cost based on GUSI OB POCUS Essentials (~$495/provider). Mortality reduction from peer-reviewed POCUS implementation studies in low-resource settings.

�

Technology & Education

A Practical Plan to Bring POCUS to Uganda

🗺️ Deployment Roadmap for Uganda

Baseline assessment — map existing facilities, referral pathways, blood supply, and available midwives, nurses, and physicians who could be trained.
Provider training — enrol local champions in GUSI's OB POCUS Essentials + Pediatric POCUS courses. Certify a core group to train others.
Device procurement — select appropriate portable handheld devices based on power infrastructure, connectivity, and budget (see brands below).
Protocols & referral integration — define what to scan, what findings trigger referral, and how to document scans at the point of care.
Quality assurance — regular image review sessions, outcomes tracking, and refresher training to maintain competency.

📡 Recommended Portable Ultrasound Devices

🦋 Butterfly iQ+

Website →

Single-probe whole-body device covering OB, cardiac, lung, and FAST exams. App-based platform with built-in AI guidance. Designed for low-resource environments — charges via USB and works with any smartphone.

🔵 Philips Lumify

Website →

App-based probe that plugs into Android phones. Multiple transducer heads available for OB and point-of-care use. Widely used in GUSI-supported training programs globally.

🟢 GE Vscan Air

Website →

Wireless, pocket-sized dual-probe handheld. Streams live images to a smartphone app. Excellent battery life — purpose-built for rapid bedside OB and FAST-style assessments.

🔷 Clarius HD3

Website →

High-resolution wireless handheld. Multiple probe configurations available. Strong image quality in a compact form factor — suitable for OB, lung, and neonatal scanning.

Global Ultrasound Institute · GUSI

The training that closes the gap — built for providers in settings like Uganda

GUSI trains physicians, nurses, midwives, and community health workers in Point-of-Care Ultrasound. Courses are designed from the ground up for providers in resource-limited settings — short, practical, competency-based, and available online or in person. Every course maps directly to the conditions killing mothers and babies during childbirth.