The Countdown to 2030 country collaboration in Uganda includes Makerere University, the Uganda Ministry of Health, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Centre for Global Child Health at the Hospital for Sick Children, and the Institute for Global Health at the University of Manitoba. It aims to strengthen the analysis and synthesis of health data to inform national and local reviews of progress and performance in the context of the national health plans and Global Financing Facility (GFF) investment case for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition.
Monitoring the national plan and investment case for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health
The Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) Sharpened Plan for Uganda (2016/17-2019/20) encapsulated the GFF Investment Case for Uganda. The Sharpened Plan I focuses on addressing major health system bottlenecks to scale up high impact interventions at all levels of the health system. The plan focused on five strategic shifts and emphasized evidence-based high impact solutions, increasing access for high burden populations and geographical focusing/sequencing. In 2021, the Countdown collaboration published an endline review of the Sharpened Plan.
Uganda is now implementing the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent and Healthy Aging Sharpened Plan II (2022/23-2027/28). The Countdown collaboration will also support the monitoring of progress toward this plan.
Planned research for 2023-2025
We aim to advance Reproductive, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNACH) Data Analysis and Equity Analysis to facilitate tailored service delivery. Our approach includes:
- Exploring and implementing advanced methodologies for analyzing and synthesizing reproductive, maternal, child, and adolescent health, and nutrition indicators.
- Utilizing analytical techniques to provide detailed evidence supporting targeted service delivery at both community and individual levels.
- Conducting maternal and newborn situation analysis, including, a special focus on Greater Kampala Metropolitan
- Conducting comprehensive equity analysis of RMNACH indicators to identify disparities in healthcare access.
- Supporting engagement and collaborative platforms that contribute to designing and implementing service delivery strategies specifically tailored to the needs of high-risk and underserved populations.
Ronald Wasswa from Makerere University was selected as a Countdown fellow for 2023, and Rogers Nsubuga was selected as a Countdown fellow for 2024.
Achievements for 2020-2022
Uganda’s country collaboration has been described in the data uptake series. Some achievements include:
- Comprehensive review of the health sector development plan for years 2015/16-2019/20.
- Presenting findings to stakeholders in 2019.
- Health facility data review which was published in a peer-reviewed journal article.
- Developing policy briefs and fact sheets about health inequities.
- Participating in and completing analysis for Countdown annual meetings in 2022 and 2023.
- Contributing to multicounty efforts around assessing the impact of COVID-19 on health services, examining maternal child health among the urban poor, and strengthening analysis of health facility data.