RIWE_AFRICA has officially launched the Bridging the Birth Gap in Uganda’s Karamoja Region project following successful district entry meetings held on 3rd and 4th February 2026 in Moroto and Napak Districts, respectively.
The launch engagements brought together district leadership, including Chief Administrative Officers, District Health Teams, and health facility in-charges, marking the formal introduction of the project and the beginning of implementation in the two districts. These meetings provided an important platform for alignment with district priorities, guidance on coordination mechanisms, and agreement on oversight arrangements.
Implemented with support from the Laerdal Foundation, the Bridging the Birth Gap project is an 18-month Saving Lives at Birth initiative aimed at reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths in pastoralist communities across Karamoja. The project focuses on strengthening emergency response at birth, improving birth preparedness and community–facility referral systems, and generating practical evidence through an embedded research component to inform district-level decision-making and health system improvements.
The positive reception and strong leadership demonstrated by Moroto and Napak District Local Governments underscore the importance of district-led approaches in addressing maternal and newborn health challenges in hard-to-reach pastoralist settings.
As implementation begins, RIWE_AFRICA looks forward to working closely with district authorities, health facilities, and communities to ensure ethical, respectful, and impactful delivery of project activities, contributing to improved survival and well-being for mothers and newborns in the Karamoja Region.
This launch marks a critical step toward closing the gap between communities and lifesaving care at birth in Karamoja.