The government of the Netherlands ?? has committed 100million euros to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in its partner countries (including Uganda).

The funds channeled through: the Global Financing Facility; World Health Organization (WHO); UNICEF, international humanitarian response organizations, contributes towards the implementation of the national COVID-19 response plans in partner countries.

The Embassy in Kampala will till the end of December 2020 invest an additional $475.000 (1.7 billion UGX) through UNFPA ($245.000) and Amref ($230.000) to support the implementation of the COVID-19 response in selected districts. The focus of this support includes: risk communication and infection prevention and control among health workers through the procurement and distribution of infection prevention and control (IPC) items and personal protection equipment (PPE) for health workers and ensuring continued access to essential sexual and reproductive health services by community members.

Strengthening ambulance services for expectant women so that they can access safe delivery services during the lockdown is one of the activities supported through the partnership with UNFPA.

Ms. Akello Salama (in the pictures) is one of those that benefitted from this support.
Akello attended five Antenatal Care (ANC) sessions at Olussi Mission Health Center (HC) III in Elussi sub-county, Nebbi district. Little did she know that she was carrying triplets.

There are no CT scan facilities at the HC III, which is the case for many lower level health centers in rural Uganda. Besides, she never imagined that by the time her pregnancy would reach full term, Uganda would be in partial lockdown due to COVID-19, with restricted movement.

Luckily for Akello, when labour set in on the evening of April 24th, she was picked from her home by ambulance and taken to the health facility where she had a safe delivery, supported by a midwife. “I called the Ambulance and I was asked to walk to the nearest access road that is about a few meters away,” narrated Akello.

For Akello, a 35year old who was carrying her seventh pregnancy ??, the news about the ambulance was such a great relief. “I feared to walk down the steep hill from my village to the health center,” she said. It would mean walking five kilometers from her home in Jupugetta village to Olussi Mission HC III. “My triplets are a blessing to the family and me”, Akello told UNFPA field staff who visited the facility.

To read Akello’s full story, visit UNFPA website.

UNFPA Uganda
UNICEF Uganda
Amref-Uganda