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Uganda

Women at Uganda launch In June 2008, misoprostol tablets were registered for prevention and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in Uganda. Following this significant policy step, in December 2008, the Ministry of Health approved the “Prevention and Treatment of Post Partum Haemorrhage Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Misoprostol,” which provide health care providers guidance on how to use the tablets to manage this important cause of maternal death and disability in Uganda.

VSI collaborated with the Ministry of Health which supportively took up the cause of reducing PPH-related maternal mortality by introducing the easy-to-use tablets in health centers. In this initial rollout of misoprostol for PPH which we launched with the Ministry and PACE in June 2009, we trained doctors, nurses and midwives to use misoprostol for PPH, and distributed the tablets in hospitals and health centers in 11 districts.

Misoprostol for Postpartum Hemorrhage Launch in Bugiri District, June 2009

By the Numbers

Estimated Total Population

30.7 M

Lifetime Risk of Maternal Death

1 woman in 35

Maternal Mortality Ratio

430 per 100,000 live-births

Total Fertility Rate

6.5

Births Attended by Skilled Health Provider

42%

Unmet Need for Family Planning

41%

Source: PRB, 2011 and WHO, 2010