Kasese District Local Government Health Sector has intensified efforts to address maternal deaths following a health performance review meeting held on 25th February 2026 at Rwenzori International Hotel.
The meeting brought together health facility in-charges, development partners, district leaders and other stakeholders to assess progress in health service delivery against district targets for the current financial year and to strengthen coordination and collaboration.
Presenting on maternal and child health performance indicators, Sr. Loy Sekalombi, Assistant District Health Officer in charge of Maternal and Child Health, together with Dr. Herbert Nzeke, Chairperson of the Maternal, Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) Committee, reported that the district has registered 26 maternal deaths from July 2025 to date.
The deaths were attributed to several avoidable factors including delays in reaching health facilities, refusal of transfer to higher facilities, lack of partner support, lack of transport from home to health facilities, shortages of blood products, supplies and consumables, and gaps in staff skills and expertise.
In response, the District Health Officer, Dr. Amon Bwambale, said the district has already organised engagements to address the contributing factors. He noted that a deep-dive meeting has been convened involving the Ministry of Health Uganda, health facility in-charges, partners and other stakeholders to discuss maternal deaths in detail. A separate meeting bringing together all doctors in the district has also been organised.
Dr. Herbert Nzeke further noted that the MPDSR committee has been following up maternal and perinatal deaths. However, he raised concern that some cases have not been reported, which affects timely interventions, and appealed to health workers to ensure that all cases are reported for appropriate response.
While giving his remarks during the review meeting, Dr. Bwambale emphasised the need for open discussion on areas of poor performance and urged health workers to understand the population they serve, including key demographics such as women, children under five and men, to improve planning and service delivery.
The Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Eliab Ntarwete Begumya, commended health workers for the services rendered despite the district’s challenging mountainous terrain. He appreciated the health department for organising the performance review meeting and called on stakeholders to critically review performance in terms of inputs, outputs, impact and service delivery processes. He also encouraged investment in teamwork and capacity building of health workers.
The Assistant Resident District Commissioner, Kabiriri Henry, urged the health sector to focus more on preventive rather than curative services, particularly through community sensitisation on feeding and disease prevention. He also called for greater attention to mental health, noting increasing stress levels among the population, and raised concern about absenteeism among staff, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
Hon. Bukombi Muhindi Eliphazi the district chairperson appealed for intensified monitoring of health facilities and urged health workers to remain at their duty stations. He emphasised proper record keeping, discouraged the forging of reports and called for professional handling of mothers to encourage more facility-based deliveries. He also urged health facility in-charges to safeguard government equipment and property.
The meeting concluded with a collective commitment by district leaders, health workers and partners to strengthen coordination, improve reporting, enhance supervision and address gaps contributing to maternal deaths in the district.
