UNEST: Integrating community health workers into maternal & newborn health: Implications for achieving MDG No. 4 in Uganda

It is just five years to the 2015 target of attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). But achieving the MDG for Child Survival (MDG No.4) remains a challenge, especially due to failure to reduce neonatal deaths in low income countries. Globally, an estimated 3.8 million newborn babies die every year, and a similar number of stillbirths occur.

In Uganda, these put together make an estimated 90,000 deaths or 6430 mini-buses (14 seater taxis) or 1125 buses full of dead babies.

Preliminary experiences from the Uganda Newborn Study show that when linked to health facilities, community health workers are a low cost measure to help achieve MDG No.4