Aliganyira P., Kerber K., Davy K., Gamache N., Sengendo N.H., Bergh A.-M.
Save the Children, Kampala, Uganda; Washington, DC, United States; University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa; MRC Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Aliganyira, P., Save the Children, Kampala, Uganda, Washington, DC, United States; Kerber, K., Save the Children, Kampala, Uganda, Washington, DC, United States, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa; Davy, K., MRC Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Gamache, N., Save the Children, Kampala, Uganda, Washington, DC, United States; Sengendo, N.H., Save the Children, Kampala, Uganda, Washington, DC, United States; Bergh, A.-M., MRC Unit for Maternal and Infant Health Care Strategies, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Introduction: Prematurity is the leading cause of newborn death in Uganda, accounting for 38% of the nation's 39,000 annual newborn deaths. Kangaroo mother care is a high-impact; cost-effective intervention that has been prioritized in policy in Uganda but implementation has been limited. Methods: A standardised, cross-sectional, mixed-method evaluation design was used, employing semi-structured key-informant interviews and observations in 11 health care facilities implementing kangaroo mother care in Uganda. Results: The facilities visited scored between 8.28 and 21.72 out of the possible 30 points with a median score of 14.71. Two of the 3 highest scoring hospitals were private, not-for-profit hospitals whereas the second highest scoring hospital was a central teaching hospital. Facilities with KMC services are not equally distributed throughout the country. Only 4 regions (Central 1, Central 2, East-Central and Southwest) plus the City of Kampala were identified as having facilities providing KMC services. Conclusion: KMC services are not instituted with consistent levels of quality and are often dependent on private partner support. With increasing attention globally and in country, Uganda is in a unique position to accelerate access to and quality of health services for small babies across the country. © Patrick Aliganyira et al.
Article; childhood mortality; cross-sectional study; evidence based practice; health care access; health care delivery; health care facility; health care quality; health program; health promotion; health service; human; maternal care; medical documentation; observational study; program cost effectiveness; program effectiveness; program evaluation; qualitative analysis; survival rate; Uganda