For the littlest of us
Giving Every Preterm Baby a Fighting Chance
Supporting Uganda’s smallest fighters and their families.
Every year, thousands of babies in Uganda are born too soon. Many need specialised neonatal care to survive and thrive, yet hospitals can face shortages of essential equipment, trained healthcare workers and family support services. Ahanga Health Foundation works alongside hospitals, healthcare professionals, communities and partners to change that.
Slideshow photographs are placeholders and will be replaced with approved images.
We work with hospitals, healthcare professionals, communities and partners to strengthen neonatal intensive care, improve outcomes for preterm newborns, and give families hope and support during one of the most challenging times of their lives.
Together, we can help every baby get the best possible start in life.
Our priority areas
Every preterm family supported and every NICU readied, so every preterm baby survives the first critical days and lives a long, fulfilling life.
01
Care, comfort and practical support for babies born too soon, and for the families who love them.
02
Equipment, commodities and readiness support so NICUs can provide quality care when it matters most.
03
Evidence, data systems and neonatal scholarship that keep improving newborn care.
What we do
Five connected areas of work, each explored in detail on the About and Hubs pages.
Strengthening NICUs
Working with hospitals to improve the quality of neonatal care, from CPAP machines and incubators to infection prevention supplies.
Supporting preterm babies
Evidence-based interventions such as Kangaroo Mother Care, breastfeeding support, neonatal resuscitation and early screening.
Supporting families
Parent education, counselling, peer support and practical help through the NICU journey and after discharge.
Training healthcare workers
Clinical training, simulation-based education, mentorship and leadership development for NICU teams.
Research, innovation and data
Neonatal research, health data systems, quality improvement and digital health innovation.
Why this work matters
Findings from the Situation Analysis Report 2023 point to gaps in quality of care rather than access alone.
22 per 1,000
Uganda’s neonatal mortality rate remains unacceptably high, at 22 deaths per 1,000 live births.
60 %
Birth asphyxia accounts for 60% of early neonatal deaths, followed by prematurity complications at 23%.
90 %
High institutional delivery rates have not yet translated into fewer preventable newborn deaths.
The evidence points to failures of quality in resuscitation capacity, equipment functionality, staffing and care coordination. The window to reach the SDG 3.2 target of 12 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030 is narrow.
Source: Situation Analysis Report 2023 Findings
Ways to engage
Partner With Us
Hospitals, government agencies, universities, NGOs and corporate organisations can collaborate with Ahanga on guidance, NICU support, technical expertise and research.
Volunteer
Healthcare professionals, researchers, students, photographers, fundraisers and advocates can all contribute their skills to give every baby the healthiest possible start.
Support the Work
Every incubator, every trained nurse and every counselling session gives another baby a chance to survive. Donation instructions are still to be provided and will be published here once confirmed.
Together, we can transform preterm care in Uganda.
Because every baby is worthy of a healthy beginning.