Masindi District Hospital has received a significant boost following a $35,000 investment by the Rotary Club of Bweyogerere Namboole and its partners to strengthen maternal and child health services and reduce preventable deaths among mothers and young children.
The project is funded through the Rotary Club of Bweyogerere Namboole in partnership with its International Rotary partners of the Rotary Club of Allschwil-Regio Basel D1980 and local partners Rotary Club of Seeta, Rotary Club of Masindi, D9213, D9214, and Rotary International.
The project focuses on improving the quality of healthcare services for mothers, newborns and children under five, while also empowering communities through disease prevention and better access to care.
Masindi District Hospital serves a wide population drawn from Buliisa District, Kiryandongo District, Hoima District, Luwero District and Nakaseke District, as well as refugees from Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. The facility handles referrals from across the region but has long faced challenges of inadequate equipment and overstretched services.
Under the new intervention, Rotary and its partners have delivered essential medical equipment to the hospital and supported training and capacity building for health workers and village health teams. The initiative is designed to improve service delivery, particularly in maternity and child health units where demand has remained high.
Hospital data indicates that limited access to appropriate equipment has forced many expectant mothers to travel long distances in search of care, a factor linked to maternal and child deaths that could otherwise be prevented.
The project is expected to benefit at least 6,000 women of reproductive age, 5,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, 1,000 newborns and 3,000 children under five. It will also strengthen the capacity of 350 health workers and 30 village health teams, while supporting the efforts of Masindi District Local Government and the Ministry of Health Uganda.
The intervention will enhance access to quality healthcare, improve health awareness and contribute to a reduction in disease burden across the district and neighboring areas.
The official handover ceremony is being presided over by Rotary District 9213 Governor Geoffrey Martin Kitakule, with international partners participating virtually and local government leaders attending in person.
In addition to the maternal and child health project, Rotary has launched a separate $64,000 water initiative at the hospital aimed at improving sanitation, hygiene and reliable water access within the facility.
Speaking on the huge impact of such interventions, Kitakule said access to safe water and proper sanitation remains central to community health and development.
“Rotarians are transforming lives by ensuring that people, especially children and women, have safe water to drink and clean sanitation facilities,”he said.
“These improvements lead to better health, fewer waterborne illnesses and reduce the burden on women and girls who previously walked long distances in search of water,”he added.
He emphasized that strengthening water, sanitation and hygiene systems in health facilities is critical in preventing infections, particularly in maternity and surgical units, and in improving trust and efficiency in healthcare delivery.
The combined investment in maternal health services and water infrastructure is aimed at improving conditions at Masindi District Hospital and expanding access to lifesaving care for thousands of mothers and children across the region.
