The country will continue losing mothers and babies unnecessarily if access to ultrasound scan services is not expanded, the Health Ministry officials have warned. While obstetric ultrasound has become increasingly common, Dr John Paul Bagala, the Assistant Commissioner for Reproductive & Infant Health, says this trend is largely urban-based.
He notes that only 28 percent of mothers nationwide have access to an ultrasound scan during pregnancy.Bagala was speaking during a graduation ceremony where ten nurses and midwives from the Busoga and Rwenzori regions were awarded diplomas in Diagnostic Ultrasound at the Mengo Hospital-based Ernest Cook Ultrasound Research and Education Institute (ECUREI).
He said equipping in-service health workers with additional skills to conduct ultrasound examinations would be beneficial if scaled countrywide, especially amid a rise in complications such as low-lying placenta, placenta accreta, and placenta previa. He noted that such conditions have become more common alongside the increase in Caesarean section births.
The in-service health workers secured scholarships under a donor-funded project aimed at improving maternal and neonatal care in Uganda. The training programme was initiated after a 2024 rapid assessment found that no Health Centre IV in the Rwenzori and Busoga regions had the necessary equipment, trained staff, or supplies to adequately provide ultrasound services, despite the fact that most deliveries occur at these facilities.
The World Health Organisation recommends at least three obstetric ultrasound scans during pregnancy as part of standard antenatal care, a measure that can significantly reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.
The 2024 Ministry of Health assessment also revealed that pregnant women attending antenatal care at Health Centre IVs were often referred to private facilities.
Many, however, ended up skipping the scans altogether due to cost.Bagala noted that findings in these regions reflect the situation in many other parts of the country.
Responding to these concerns, Dr Charles Olaro, Director General of Health Services, said the ministry aims to achieve universal access to ultrasound services, not only for maternal health but also for other diagnostic needs, including trauma care.
However, he acknowledged ongoing challenges related to recruitment and the wage bill, which limit government expansion of services. During the event, graduates appealed for promotion in recognition of their newly acquired skills.
However, Dr Olaro noted that this may not be feasible. Speaking at the graduation ceremony held at the Ministry of Health headquarters, Nicholas Oebel, Country Director of Enabel—the Belgian development agency that funded the training—said the graduates had already conducted about 100,000 scans under supervision even before completing the programme.
He added that the training is part of a broader initiative known as We Care, under which Health Centre IVs have also been equipped with ultrasound machines. The trained health workers are bonded to serve in their respective districts for at least two years. URN