10/17/2007

In the Luganda language native to Uganda, “kiyumba” means “big house.” Speaking at the dedication ceremony for the new maternity wing at Kiyumba Health Center, Foundation Country Director in Uganda William Salmond invited families to make full use of the new “big house.”

Opened on Tuesday, October 16, in the Masaka District of Uganda, the new maternity wing cost about 86 million Ugandan shillings, about $50,000 U.S., and was constructed with Foundation funding.

Salmond emphasized the importance of HIV testing — especially among women. While only 32 percent of women at the clinic in Kiyumba were tested and received their HIV results one year ago, today almost 100 percent are tested for HIV and receive same-day results.

Also speaking at the event were Benardine Nakirijja, the officer-in-charge of the new facility, and District Health Officer Stuart Musisi.

In her remarks, Nakirijja reiterated Salmond’s plea for women to be tested, pointing to a recent statistic that of 200 people from three sub-counties who were tested for HIV, 40 (20 percent) were found to be HIV-positive, 30 of whom were female.

Bringing to light the high infant mortality rate, Musisi blamed the apprehension pregnant women feel about seeking treatment in health facilities, saying that many women prefer a traditional birth attendant over professional treatment. According to Musisi, only 25 percent of pregnant women in Uganda access professional treatment, which has led to setbacks with the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV program in the country.

Salmond said that infant deliveries at Kiyumba had increased substantially over the past year, expressing confidence that the new maternity wing would encourage even more women in the community to deliver at Kiyumba.

Foundation funding for the new maternity wing was made possible by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the U.S. Agency for International Development.