Govt warns of rising pressure on maternity services

What the report says

Uganda’s Health Ministry says maternity services are under growing strain as more women give birth in public facilities and the number of unintended pregnancies remains high. The issue was highlighted by Dr Richard Mugahi, the ministry’s Commissioner for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, during an event at Kawempe National Women’s Hospital in Kampala where maternity equipment, including delivery beds, was handed over by partners.

According to the ministry, public health facilities have recorded about 1.7 million births this year, up from roughly 1.6 million last year. Officials say the increase is placing extra pressure on delivery beds, midwives, doctors and other skilled birth attendants, while also testing maternity infrastructure more broadly. Mugahi said continued investment in maternal and newborn care is needed to maintain service quality as demand rises.

The ministry also linked the pressure on services to Uganda’s high fertility rate, which Mugahi said is about 5.2 children per woman, and to unintended pregnancies, which he said make up around 42% of all pregnancies. In response, the government plans to expand access to modern family planning, including counseling on postpartum contraception before mothers leave health facilities.

Beyond health facilities, officials said they want to work with other sectors, including education, to help keep girls in school and reduce adolescent pregnancy. The ministry says it already has family planning supplies and trained staff, but broadening access will be important as Uganda’s population continues to grow and more families need maternal care.