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Uganda and UNFPA begin work on national midwifery investment case
Uganda’s Ministry of Health and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have begun developing a national strategic investment case to scale up midwifery models of care and improve maternal and newborn health.
The Ministry, through its Department of Nursing and Midwifery and in partnership with UNFPA Uganda, held a national inception meeting in Kampala on 3 November. Government institutions, development partners, professional associations, policymakers and technical experts attended to build consensus on the investments needed.
Sr. Evelyne Kyomugisha, Acting Commissioner for Nursing and Midwifery, called for greater recognition and investment in frontline health workers, saying midwives work under challenging conditions. She urged a shift from questioning health workers’ performance to addressing systemic challenges through better staffing, resources and strategic investment.
Dr Eva Wanyenze, representing UNFPA, stressed respectful maternity care, including informed consent, dignity and communication with women. She also pointed to workforce shortages, inadequate supplies, poor infrastructure, weak referral systems and inequalities in access to quality care.
The investment case will assess the impact and economic returns of scaling up midwifery models of care. Two lead consultants, jointly appointed by the Ministry and UNFPA, will model impact using the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) and OneHealth Tool. They will also carry out health labour-market analysis and return-on-investment assessments.
At the meeting, stakeholders reviewed the proposed methodology, identified priority investment areas, agreed baseline data sources and scale-up targets, and set up coordination and governance arrangements. The findings are expected to inform policy decisions and national budget allocations.
Source: Uganda Ministry of Health (3 Nov 2026).
Urge Inside Health| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
Kampala, Uganda | 3 November 2026
Uganda's Ministry of Health and United Nations Population Fund Officials in a group photo during the recent meeting
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