So much has been happening. During our March 2024 on-site meeting in Uganda we developed an ambitious 12 month “work plan.” We are particularly proud to say that the team in Uganda has been successfully completing the expectations that they set for themselves.
- In May 2024 one skilled health care provider from each of the 26 health centers in Gulu District attended a one day course taught by WOtW midwife trainers to learn the WHO updates of Essential Newborn Care 1 and 2 (previously Helping Babies Breathe and Essential Care of Every Baby). These representatives returned to their health centers and educated all of their colleagues on the new information. Updates happen periodically and we are pleased that we now have a good protocol in place for disseminating these updates.
“It is always good to be prepared to help a baby breathe. This provider is practicing her skills.”
- In June 2024 WOtW conducted a pilot training of 26 Village Health Team members in Paibona Subcounty. This was a two-day training on maternal/child health. They used a curriculum developed by the Ministry of Health called The Wheel of Good Practices.
The training will be followed by 6 months of monitoring to determine if our stated goals are achieved:
- Increase immunization rates in the first year of life
- Increase the number of mothers presenting for prenatal care early and regularly
- Increase the number of mothers delivering in a facility rather than at home
All of these goals have been demonstrated to improve health outcomes in mothers and babies. If the goals are achieved, we hope to expand this training to ALL the Village Health Team members in Gulu District (over 400); this would be a very big undertaking. We will keep you updated.
WOtW trainer, Ojokomoi Bosco, clearly had his trainees engaged. You can see this, even without understanding the local Luo language!
WOtW trainer, Ojokomoi Bosco, clearly had his trainees engaged. You can see this, even without understanding the local Luo language!
- Well on Their Way has officially become a Community-Based Organization (CBO) in Uganda. This certification was an important step for us as an organization, giving us local recognition and enabling us to collaborate with other organizations on the ground.
- Refresher training of the 5 core curricula has been continuing in 8 week segments. Our midwife trainers have been busy transferring training equipment from one health center to another and providing mentorship, traveling miles by motorcycle over dirt roads to do so.
- Gulu District Ministry of Health recently hired over 20 new skilled healthcare workers who will be working throughout the district in one of the 26 health centers. The WOtW medical team is now gearing up to provide 2 day training sessions of each of the five core curricula, ten days total, spread throughout July and August. This is one of the largest and most costly annual undertakings for Well on Their Way, but it is so important to be sure that every skilled health worker has the requisite skills to be prepared for emergencies at the time of childbirth and to provide the best care possible to every mother and baby.
- We are already starting to make plans for our 2025 site visit to Uganda and will give more details about our training plans and new team members in our next blog!
Master Midwife trainer Apiyo Susan demonstrating controlled cord traction after delivery, followed by demonstration by her trainee.