With Statistics revealing that only 32% of women who give
birth in Uganda receive care from trained personnel while the majority gives
birth at home or under the supervision of traditional birth attendants, different
alternatives and policy proposals need to be explored in this country in order
to strengthen the already existing efforts by different state and non state
actors to improve the access to maternal health care services in Uganda. 
Drawing lessons from other developing countries and projects
which are very applicable to Ugandan context, there is need to strengthen
access to more wholesome reproductive health care facilities that target mothers
and their partners. This will ensure collective action and concern on issues of
maternal health. Additionally, research should be geared towards alternative
knowledge on maternal health such as traditional birth attendants to improve
their services and in human capital development of community health workers
such as the nurses, clinical officers and midwives, besides providing them with an attractive salary package. This in
the end will ensure more inclusive policy formulation and as well help in integrating
indigenous knowledge into internationally recognized practices. However this
calls for a legal framework to regulate the work done by these Traditional
Birth Attendants.
Means of monitoring and evaluating health programs should be
devised in order to improve on access to maternal and reproductive health and
as well checking on accountability and corruption by strengthening government’s
capacity to monitor the effectiveness of programs.
With the above interventions
many women and children will be saved.
Written by Kaviri Ali
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