Both sites have extensive resources and knowledge that they wish to share so as to improve patient care. The LMP was established in 2008. Over the past 4 years several exchange programmes involving UK and Ugandan Obstetricians, midwives and nurses have taken place. At the heart of the project there has been a long term volunteer (UK Obstetric Registrar) based in Mulago Hospital. Working alongside
Ugandan counterparts, this volunteer aims to implement initiatives to reduce maternal mortality. Such activities have included the development of a 6 bed high dependency unit, training midwives, writing guidelines, developing audit and more recently trying to reduce congestion by improving the functionality of local health centres. In 2011 the Ugandan Maternal and Newborn Hub (UMNH) was established to link UK-Ugandan healthcare partnerships that focus on maternal and newborn health. As part of the UMNH the Sustainable Volunteering Project was developed with funding from THET and DFID, to send out 40 professional volunteers over the next 3 years to the various UMNH healthcare partnerships. The aim of the SVP is to reduce newborn and maternal mortality through capacity building, providing training and education and skills transfer.
