Lack of Ambulance Threatens Maternal Lives in Kayunga Despite Women’s Day Focus on Health

By Denis Mukisa

Bbaale, Kayunga: As Uganda celebrated International Women’s Day 2026 under the national theme “Scaling up Investment to Accelerate Access to Justice for All Women and Girls,” Kayunga District highlighted a persistent crisis: the lack of a functional ambulance at Bbaale Health Centre IV, which continues to put expectant mothers at serious risk.

The district’s commemorative event, held at the health centre, placed maternal health at the forefront. However, health workers used the occasion to draw attention to a critical infrastructure gap — the absence of an ambulance for emergency referrals to Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital.

Like many rural facilities across the country, Bbaale Health Centre IV struggles with emergency transport. Recent health sector assessments show Uganda’s national ambulance coverage is low, at approximately one ambulance per 100,000 population, with most functional vehicles concentrated in urban centres. This leaves many rural districts underserved and contributes to delays in handling obstetric emergencies.

National Women’s Council Chairperson Hajjat Faridah Kibowa, who officiated the function, pledged to personally advocate with the central government in Kampala for the provision of an ambulance to the facility.“An ambulance is not a luxury. It is a lifesaving necessity,” Kibowa stated, promising to push for faster action to bridge the gap.

The event also shed light on other pressing challenges. In the past six months, 107 out of 570 mothers who delivered at Bbaale Health Centre IV were teenagers below 18 years of age, according to Assistant District Health Officer Oliva Busiingye Kakyukusi and facility in-charge Dr Emmanuel Bagoole.

Hajjat Kibowa strongly discouraged reliance on traditional birth attendants and urged women to utilise government health facilities to reduce preventable maternal deaths. She encouraged teenage mothers not to lose hope and to consider returning to school, while calling on women to participate in economic empowerment programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga.

Kayunga District official Naava Fatuma emphasised the need for family unity and urged men to take greater responsibility in supporting maternal health.

As the celebrations concluded, Hajjat Kibowa donated mama kits, basins, and soap to more than 400 mothers. The women expressed gratitude but appealed to the government to intensify sensitisation efforts targeting men who abandon their family responsibilities.

The district event followed the national International Women’s Day celebrations held on March 8, 2026, at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala. The national observance, which brought together government leaders and partners, underscored the urgent need for investment in systems that protect and empower women and girls;  including access to timely emergency maternal care in rural areas.

Health officials say the provision of a reliable ambulance at Bbaale would mark a significant step toward reducing maternal mortality and improving emergency obstetric care in the region.