Mama Toto Care Uganda is a programme of Rotary Clubs of Uganda Ltd, bringing together Rotary and Rotaract clubs across Uganda with government, corporate and technical partners to advance maternal and newborn health.
Uganda has made important progress in improving the survival of mothers and newborns. Maternal mortality declined from 336 to 189 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2016 and 2022. Yet 189 mothers lost for every 100,000 live births remains a significant burden. Newborn survival has improved more slowly, with 22 newborn deaths for every 1,000 live births recorded in 2022.
These numbers represent mothers, babies and families—and they are why maternal and newborn health remains an important area of service for Rotary and Rotaract clubs in Uganda.
Across the country, our clubs have a long history of serving their communities and investing in maternal and child health. Mama Toto builds on this commitment by creating a shared platform through which we can combine our strengths, mobilise resources and partnerships, and make our collective contribution more impactful.
By working together, we are able to harness the reach, relationships, resources and expertise within and beyond Rotary—creating synergies, making better use of available resources and contributing to stronger, more sustainable maternal and newborn health interventions.
At the heart of Mama Toto is a simple ambition: to contribute to a Uganda where every mother receives the care she needs and every baby has the best possible start to life.
In Uganda, approximately 50-60 newborns and 16 mothers die each day, translating to about 20,000 newborn deaths and over 5,000 maternal deaths annually. The leading causes include postpartum hemorrhage, neonatal asphyxia, sepsis, and obstructed labor – many of which are preventable with timely and appropriate care.
Despite widespread awareness of these challenges, frontline facilities remain under-equipped, health workers are often undertrained or unsupported, and community-level barriers delay or prevent care-seeking.
Addressing both supply-side and demand-side drivers of maternal and newborn mortality through healthcare system strengthening and community engagement.
We support health facilities to provide safer, higher-quality maternal and newborn care by addressing practical gaps in health-worker skills, essential equipment, quality improvement and service readiness. We work with health authorities, technical partners and Rotary clubs to strengthen existing systems rather than create parallel ones.
Better services only save lives when families can and do use them. We work through Rotary clubs, community structures and local partners to strengthen the connection between communities and health facilities, promote timely care-seeking, and improve awareness of maternal, newborn and reproductive health services.
We use Rotary’s networks and convening power to bring greater attention, partnerships and resources to maternal and newborn health. We share evidence and lessons from our interventions, engage decision-makers and partners around identified gaps, and mobilize financial, technical and in-kind support to expand sustainable solutions.
Collaborate with us to strengthen health systems, empower communities, and improve healthcare outcomes.
Mothers & Newborns Reached
