A tribute to Steve Jobs; in his words

Steve Jobs was many things — an innovator and visionary, an oracle of consumer behavior, and an insanely great showman. He was also a masterful orator, known for his skill in turning a phrase.

Below, a collection of some the more memorable ones.

• “If Apple becomes a place where computers are a commodity item, where the romance is gone, and where people forget that computers are the most incredible invention that man has ever been invented, I’ll feel I have lost Apple. But if I’m a million miles away, and all those people still feel those things… then I will feel that my genes are still there.”
• “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.”
• “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
• “My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.”
• “When you’re a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you’re not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You’ll know it’s there, so you’re going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through.”
• “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.”
• “Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works. The design of the Mac wasn’t what it looked like, although that was part of it. Primarily, it was how it worked. To design something really well, you have to get it. You have to really grok what it’s all about.”
• “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
• “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.”
• “Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.”
• “Innovation … comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. We’re always thinking about new markets we could enter, but it’s only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.”
• “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”
• “When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
• “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
• “I get asked a lot why Apple’s customers are so loyal. It’s not because they belong to the Church of Mac! That’s ridiculous. It’s because when you buy our products, and three months later you get stuck on something, you quickly figure out [how to get past it]. And you think, “Wow, someone over there at Apple actually thought of this!”

Burundi fights Pneumonia with vaccine

By Esther Nakkazi

Development News- 20th September 2011

Dr. Sabine Ntakarutimana, the Minister of Health Burundi has introduced another life saving vaccine to the routine national vaccination programme.

Burundi becomes the tenth country in Africa to introduce new pneumococcal vaccines through immunisation, which could save about 16,000 deaths in Burundi annually.

The pneumococcal vaccine used in the fight against pneumonia was introduced last week, 20th September, the latest under the national Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), which covers 320,000 children between 0 to 11 months. 

The EPI programme also includes other vaccines; BCG for tuberculosis, polio and measles vaccines as well as a combined pentavalent against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza.

“Immunisation is a better investment for the country, for the health of our children, the well-being of our families and the economic growth of our country. It is a right for children and the responsibility of parents,” said Ntakarutimana at the province of Kayanza where the vaccine was launched. 

In Burundi, acute respiratory infections, which include pneumonia caused by pneumococcus, constitute the second major cause of under-five child mortality, about 16,000 deaths per year, according to epidemiological statistics from the Ministry of Health.

“Pneumonia is still killing too many of our children, but with this new vaccine we aim to reverse this tragedy and set our children on course for a healthy future,” said Dr. Ntakarutimana.

“The introduction of pneumococcal vaccines into Burundi is a solid long-term investment for the country’s social and economic potential,” said GAVI Alliance CEO, Dr Seth Berkley.

Pneumococcal disease, the leading cause of pneumonia is globally the biggest infections killer of children. It takes the lives of 800,000 children each year, largely in the developing world even if the disease is preventable.

According to UNICEF, 89 percent of all deaths linked to pneumococcal infection are due to pneumonia while 6 percent are due to meningitis and other serious complications are 5 per cent. Around 90 per cent of deaths occur in developing countries, particularly in Africa, two major risk factors HIV/AIDS and drepanocytaemia or sickle cell anaemia accelerate it.

Pneumococcal vaccines, once fully rolled out globally, are expected to save seven million lives by 2030.

“Of all the health interventions available, immunization is one the most efficient and cost effective, savings millions of children in the world,” said Mr. Souleymane Diabate, UNICEF Representative to Burundi.

Although, certain pneumococcal vaccines have been in existence since 2000, they have not reached the countries where they are needed most until recently.

However, in 2007 the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) launched an innovative vaccine financing effort called the pneumococcal advance market commitment to help change this and bring pneumococcal vaccines to developing countries.

With US$ 1.5 billion from Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Russian Federation, Norway, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a commitment of US$ 1.3 billion from GAVI, the AMC allowed the acceleration of production capacity by the two manufacturers who currently produce the vaccines.

Developing countries contribute a small but increasing, co-pay to purchase the vaccine and ensure that the model is sustainable.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and five leading donor countries manage the program. The Foundation also in 2010 announced a $10 billion commitment over the next ten years to increase access to childhood vaccines in the world poorest countries. The effort was labeled the ‘Decade of Vaccines.’

In recent months, the Central African Republic, Gambia, Cameroon, Benin and Rwanda have also introduced the new pneumococcal vaccine.

By 2015, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization Alliance plans to have supported the introduction of these vaccines in more than 40 developing countries.

Ends-

Public Votes Kenya Shuga Actors

CAST REVEALED FOR SHUGA: LOVE, SEX, MONEY

Nairobi, 6 September 2011:  


Kenyan actors Christopher Otieno and Wairugi Mutero have won the public casting for the new series of Shuga: Love, Sex, Money, earning themselves a coveted role in the upcoming TV production.  The news was revealed today by MTV Base, The Staying Alive Foundation, the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and The Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation (HFG). 

Christopher and Wairugi won their roles after an online poll voted for by the public. Wairugi will be playing the role of ‘Njoki’ (a party girl who loves to live in the moment) while Christopher will be cast as ‘Slim’, a small-time gangster.  They join new cast members Nick Ndeda (Angelo), Nancy Wanjiku (Baby), Brenda Wairimu (Dala), Edward Nyanaro(Rayban), Avril (Miss B’have) and Ikubese Emmanuel - a.k.a. 9con - (Femi).  Filming for the new series kicks off this week in Nairobi.

Meanwhile, Lupita Nyong’o, who played the pivotal character of Ayira in Shuga, returns on the other side of the camera as co-director alongside South African veteran Teboho Mahlatsi.  Nyong’o, an award-winning documentary maker and actress, who is studying acting at the Yale School of Drama, will also be making a brief cameo appearance in the series.

Commented Lupita Nyong’o, “Shuga was such a groundbreaking series and I am so thrilled to be working on the project again! This time I’ll really have my hands full as I will be both in front of and behind the camera but I can’t wait to be involved in the sequel to this incredible story.”

Also returning for the second series of Shuga are Sharon Olago (Violet), David Omwange (Skola), Nick Mutuma (Leo),Antony Mwangi (Kennedy) and Valerie Kimani (Sindi).

The first series of Shuga was filmed in Kenya in August-September 2009.  Starring a young cast of upcoming Kenyan actors and actresses, Shuga told a bitter-sweet tale of love, loss, sex, heartbreak and relationships, set in the clubs, bars, campuses and hangouts of contemporary Nairobi. With a raw and uncut view on the lives of sexually active young Kenyans, Shuga spot lit the risks associated with unprotected sex and the party-hard lifestyles of urban Kenyan youth, told through the interlinked characters and storylines.

“We are very excited to reveal the talented cast that will feature in Shuga: Love, Sex, Money,” said Lydia Murimi, HFG Kenya Country Director.   “As partners in Shuga, one of our aims is to ensure that we gave all the hopeful, determined, young Kenyans an opportunity to demonstrate their talent and compete for the roles.  Through this, we are expanding G-PANGE as a lifestyle choice for all.”

Commented Georgia Arnold, Executive Director, MTV Staying Alive Foundation, “Thousands of young people have become involved in the casting of Shuga either through the auditions or via the voting process.  We have been astounded by the quality and quantity of the actors we have seen and I look forward to seeing how our new cast members, characters and storylines will interact with our established cast.”

For more information about Shuga: Love, Sex, Money log onto www.mtvshuga.com or               www.g-pange.com.  To share your thoughts on Shuga: Love, Sex, Money, add #Shuga or #ShugaStar to your tweets.

-ENDS-

For more media information, imagery or comment, please contact:

Alison Reid                                                                  Rose Thuo

Director of Communications                                         Communication Manager

MTV Networks Africa                                                   Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation

T +33 385 30 0636                                                        +254 20 235 1836/9

M +33 609 685 861                                                       +254 712 990 873

Email: alison.reid@mtvne.com                                     rthuo@hivfreegeneration.org

Uganda tea yields to be reduced by climate change

By Esther Nakkazi

Uganda’s tea producers may well enjoy high yields but for a while as these will fall drastically if the latest climate change predictions come true.
The Uganda Tea Association raised its tea production forecast by about 9 percent for this year, attributed to use of fertilizers and more acreage put under planting the crop.
George William Sekitoleko the executive secretary of Uganda Tea Association said production would this year increase to 64 from 59.4 million kilograms last year. Tea export earnings are now on average about $100 million.
But climate scientists say a progressive rise in temperatures, which will be evident by 2020 and peak in 2050, would lead to increased attacks from pests and diseases and lead to steep declines in tea production in Uganda.
Overall climate will become less seasonal, with temperature in specific districts, increasing by about 1 ºC by 2020 and 2.3 ºC by 2050, said a report released last week by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).
Areas that will retain suitability- the capacity of the crop to produce acceptable yields- will decrease by 20 – 40 percent, compared with today’s suitability of 60 – 80 percent, the study ‘Future Climate Scenarios for Uganda’s Tea Growing Areas’ says.
Tea is now Uganda’s second agricultural export earner after coffee and having overtaken fish, it is grown in warmer, relatively low altitude areas, to produce a bright, flavored and delicious tasty tea.
“If average temperatures rise by an expected 2.3 degrees Celsius by 2050, some of Uganda’s most lucrative tea producing areas could be completely wiped off the map,” said the study funded by the UK-based Cafédirect Producers’ Foundation and German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ).
“Our tea depends on good weather and it has remained favorable. We have not had any set backs so far but if the predictions become true it will e very unfortunate,” said Sekitoleko.
Uganda’s tea industry, which produces some of the highest quality teas in the world, employs over 60,000 small farmers, and supports the livelihoods of up to half a million people.
Tea is mostly produced in the western part of Uganda, in the areas of Mpanga, Igara, Mabale, and Kayonza but the production area could be reduced to a narrow band of “marginal suitability”.
However, it says neighboring Kenya, where Uganda sells most of its tea through an auction market will not suffer as much. A study by CIAT released in June 2011 also showed the likely impact of climate change on tea production in Kenya, which also showed suitability take a serious hit.
Dr. Peter Laderach, a CIAT climate scientist on the team said the results were a ‘shock’. “We thought those from Kenya were severe, but in Uganda it’s even more serious. It is crucial to help minimize the risk to one of the country’s most important cash crops, and the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on it.”
The report advises for climate assessments for possible alternative crops; like cassava, banana, pineapple, maize, passion fruit, and citrus fruits.
“Helping farmers find practical, productive and profitable alternatives is a great way of spreading the risk of tea production,” said Laderach.
He advised against the shift uphill into cooler, more suitable zones for tea production because it could result in the clearing of forests and protected areas at a significant environmental cost.
The results of the study are will be disseminated to farmers, policy makers and other interest groups in Kenya and Uganda to ensure action from all stakeholders.
The Cafédirect Producers’ Foundation has met with farmer groups from Uganda and Kenya to discuss the implications of the CIAT reports, and to encourage their involvement in developing sustainable options for adapting to climate change, and reducing the environmental footprint of tea production.
“Most tea farmers in East Africa are aware that the climate is changing,” said Programme Manager Kenny Ewan. “The report has certainly helped us to show farmers some of the science behind their local knowledge.”
The Foundation is encouraging smallholders to develop their own, locally appropriate, adaptation and mitigation methods. For instance they can reforest hillsides and protect water sources, as well as planting kitchen gardens.
They are also advised to introduce more resilient tea varieties.
Ends-

Uganda recovers stolen Malaria drugs

By Esther Nakkazi

Uganda has averted theft of malaria drugs worth Ush 4 billion ($1.6 million) since the formation of the Uganda Medicines and Health Services Delivery Monitoring Unit in 2009.

As a result of more preventive measures, malaria drugs, especially Coartem, which were the most counterfeited because of the cost and large available market are becoming less stocked out in Uganda health centres.

“I testify in court all the time on embezzlement of drugs, funds and absenteeism of health workers,” says Frank Byaruhanga an investigator with the Monitoring Unit who goes to court twice a week. Byaruhanga says stock outs for malaria drugs are now improving but the focus is now changing to injectables, which are easier to steal.

In the last three years the government has made some initiatives to curb stock outs; establishment of the drug Monitoring Unit, change in delivery system at National Medical Stores, embossed drugs with Government of Uganda (GOU) and increased budget funding for drugs in the 2011/12 budget.

But also the increase in consumer awareness and them knowing their rights as well as severe penalties of up to 5-7 years for embezzlement. This has changed the situation on stock outs a lot.

“It is now at ‘manageable levels’ says Byaruhanga also detective assistant Superintendent of police. “Previously there were no drugs in health facilities only a day after delivery but now they stay until they are used up by patients.”

“Stock outs have improved and the stock out campaign has gone down maybe because it has run for two years,” said Christine Munduru, the public health programme officer for Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA).

“We now want to focus on community monitoring of the new drug delivery system.” OSIEA supports civil society organisations to use community scorecards to follow health care delivery.

The monitoring unit has also increased sensitization of the public on stolen drugs although the practice is still rampant on border towns between Uganda and DR Congo, Kenya, and southern Sudan. Very often the drug Monitoring Unit sends back antimalarials and mosquito nets to Kenya diverted into Uganda, said Byaruhanga but so far Kenya does not do the same.

The supply chain problems:

In 2009, the National Medical Stores (NMS) changed from the pull system, basically user driven for the selection of the type of drugs and quantities by the district to a combination of the push and pull system driven by the ministry of Health.

But the efficiency in drugs delivery can also be attributed to SURE -Securing Ugandans’ Right to Essential Medicines, a USAID funded project that started in 2009 to turn around the drug distribution landscape in Uganda. It is five years $39 million project.

The pull system was dogged with poor forecasting of medicines and procurement procedures as well as low budget allocation for drugs leading to stock outs. All medicine was procured through the District medicines credit line systems by the district medical stores at their headquarters, sub-counties and hospitals.

In this system funds were released from the Ministry of Finance, to the Ministry of Health and then to NMS. But from July 2009, funds for procurement of essential medicines through the credit line system started to be released directly to NMS, after the latter got a direct budget vote.

“Due to the new delivery system, there have already been an increase in availability of medicines in the public sector which may indicate that changes in the medicine supply policy that were effected in 2009 to improve efficiency of the NMS are paying off at higher levels of health care (Health Centre IV and hospitals),” said Dennis Kibira, the medicines advisor at HEPS-Uganda.

HEPS-Uganda, which produces a quarterly medicine price monitor in its Oct-Dec 2010 issue, shows that availability of malaria drugs Artemether/Lumefantrine (A/L) tablets in the dosage of 20/120mg increased to 93 percent in October-December 2010 from 68 percent in April-June 2009 in all public sector facilities. Its availability also increased in the mission sector and the private sector.

The medicine price monitor also shows that availability of the malaria drugs for pregnant women Pyrimethamine/ Sulphadoxine in public facilities grew by 10 points to 67 percent over the same period.

But the medicines monitor also shows that the availability of medicines for non-communicable diseases has continued to be a challenge in the public sector.

For instance anti-diabetic medicines Glibenclamide and Metformin plus medicines for hypertension, Nifedipine and Propranolol; and medicines for ulcers were all in less than 60 percent of both public and private health facilities.

But as if children are the most neglected in medicines availability in Uganda, most public health facilities suffered from paediatric formulations stock outs.

Suspensions like Amoxicillin, Cotrimoxazole and Metronidazole were only available at less than 50 percent of the time in all public facilities while oral rehydration suspension for diarrhea, which has consistently been the most stocked paediatric formulation declined.

Malaria mostly kills children below five years, but the paediatric malaria suspensions, Artemether/Lumefantrine was not available in the public, mission or private sector facilities in over half the time it was supposed to be there.

“The low availability of appropriate paediatric medicines for leading killers, such as malaria and pneumonia, continues to compromise the quality of care offered to children and may be the reason for failing to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals on infant and child mortality,” said Kibira.

Kibira said that there is a lot of hope with the launch of the Affordable Medicines facility for malaria (AMFM) under the ministry of Health where both public and private sector have received subsidies that will increase availability and affordability of antimalarials.

Currently, first line treatment of malaria- arthemether/lumefantrine costs between Ushs. 1,500-2,000 ($0.5-0.7) in the private sector down from between 10,000-20,000/- ($3.8-$7.7) abut three years ago.

Stakeholders blamed the supply chain problems from lack of human resource and capacity at health facility level as well as lack of coordination in the supply management system.

Ends-

I was in the 'labor ward' to deliver a fat baby girl for minutes

By Esther Nakkazi

Today I was a medical officer for some minutes and witnessed the birth of a fat baby girl in one of the parking yards of Mulago hospital. So besides being a freelance journalist (which I am trying for a few months now already, the highlight so far was getting arrested after an assignment on my way from southern Sudan) I am also trying to lead a team that will hold the second health journalists conference in Uganda. 

I have a team of volunteers’ mostly young people from the US on internship, research or something, which is great because Ugandans idea of volunteering is still low and I totally understand it. So these days I get to talk to various people in the medical field not for interviews for stories but to ask for a hand- to either come to speak at the conference or give us some funding. We promise to put up everything on the website www.hejnu.com

Anyways I go to Mulago, the school, often to speak about the programme. Today I had an appointment with Dr. Jolly Beyeza and got some progress. The Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Uganda (AOGU) has agreed to fund half a day of the conference. I was happy walking humming and decided to pass by and chat with my cousin, a nurse at Mulago hospital. 

After the chat I walked to the parking yard and there was this woman on the floor. The two women around her were screaming doctor, doctor, help, help!. Okay I was carrying my laptop but I am no doctor; I don’t even look like one. Mistake. 

Then I got closer to take a look anyway -what is the matter! I too added my screams to the two the baby was coming. Lucky, another passerby, a nurse who I later got to learn was Brian Kibuuka an ECN. He quickly asked for gloves, by this time the crowd was bigger. Although the hospital was 2 minutes away there was actually no doctor or nurse coming to help. 

 
This Brian was real quick with in five minutes the baby was out and the mother was padded and holding her bundle of joy. Then I called him aside amidst the shouts. “It was at the third stage of labor. It was not a complicated birth at all. Mother and baby should be fine but she should go to the hospital for a check-up,” Brian told me. It was his second roadside delivery but 61st birth since he became a nurse. 

Then he left. I pulled my phone to take some pictures to accompany this story/blog, but could not. You woman you are a journalist; now they knew; why are you taking this woman’s pictures. She had delivered already so I thought there was no harm. It is something we have discussed about in newsrooms, taking pictures in medical and health care reporting. The woman was still in a pool of blood nevertheless and on the floor. I felt a swell in my throat and the phone quickly back in my bag. 

But the disagreement ensured and persisted. Should Agnes go inside the hospital after having delivered her baby here in the parking lot or just go home. The majority of the women were shouting “No she should NOT go inside the hospital. Those nurses and doctors heard us screaming for help but none of them came to our rescue. This guy (Brian) was only passing by and he helped.” 

I was on the side of women saying no matter what the mother, Agnes, should go to hospital for check up and have the child checked out and given a tetanus jab. I have a sharp, piercing voice but it was like a whisper. It took about 10 minutes to just shout about this simple issue. 

One man, I suspected was the father, shouted the most that Agnes and baby should just go home. I guess he was afraid of paying bills. The medical people or they were not who passed by did not intervene. Agnes was just looking on saying nothing. 

Anyway I remembered I had to go for another appointment. As I was pulling out of the parking, I saw Agnes with her fat baby girl on a boda-boda leaving Mulago.

I only said a ‘thank you God’ because it was not a complicated birth or else it would be another maternal mortality and childbirth death statistic. Maternal health will be one of the issues we shall discuss extensively at the second health journalists conference due this September.

Uganda Government Never Ready on Maternal Health Issues

By Esther Nakkazi

The courts adjourned the Constitutional Court case on preventable maternal death in Uganda last week after the government asked for more time to prepare their defense.

It was the only one time in four that the judges raised quorum but had insufficient defense. However, public interest remains high showing the increasing public alertness to their health rights and intolerance of poor health delivery by the government.

In this unprecedented case in East Africa, Civil Society Organisations and families of two women who died in childbirth are suing the Uganda Government for non provision of essential services for pregnant women and their newborns which breaches its fundamental obligation to uphold the Constitution and violates the right to health and the right to life.

David Kabanda the lead counsel said it is important that the government treats the case with the urgency it deserves but lobbying would continue. The next hearing is expected early September this year.

“They have not put in substantial affidavits in reply. But they have acknowledged that the evidence is overwhelming and will need technical support to be able to reply,” said Kabanda. The government said it is waiting for affidavits from the ministry of Health and Finance.

Previously, there was lack of quorum by the judges, a sign that the government was not serious and was not ready but the public turn up was high as about 750 people marching in three spots in Kampala, Arua and Mityana.

“It appears that the case is not being treated with the urgency it warrants despite the life and death issues being considered in this petition,” said Asia Russell from the US-based lobby group, Health Global Access Project (Health GAP).

Uganda’s maternal mortality rate is 435 deaths per 100,000 live births, while the infant mortality rate is estimated at 76 deaths per 1,000 live births.

In Uganda, 16 women die everyday in childbirth.

“The mere fact the violation continues is important that the constitutional court hears this case expeditiously. The turn up of a huge number of people in the court cases points to the fact that it is of public interest,” said Moses Mulumba the chief petitioner of the case.

The petition calls upon the judiciary to pronounce the escalating maternal deaths in Uganda as an issue that violates the Constitutional rights of Ugandans.

It highlights the case of Sylvia Nalubowa, a mother of seven children in Mityana and of Jennifer Anguko, a mother of three both of whom died as a result of the government’s failure to fulfill its constitutional obligations to provide basic maternal health care.

In May this year, the Centre for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), a Ugandan NGO, and the families of Sylvia and Jennifer sued the government through the Ugandan Constitutional Court alleging the women’s deaths were caused as a direct result of Uganda’s failing healthcare system.

CEHURD officials urge the Court to declare that the continuous failure to implement effective policies on maternal healthcare, under-staffing, and the non-availability of basic maternal commodities in government hospitals amount to violations of pregnant women’s rights to health and life.

“Years have passed and the population is singing the same song over and over. No drugs, personnel are inadequate, personnel are rude to the sick... and the list continues. Where is government in all this,” asked William Kibaalya a social worker managing social welfare programmes for children in Uganda.

Lobbying the public outside court

But with the no show by the judges, the civil society has devised other ways of putting pressure on the government to pay attention.

Campaigners have initiated an online petition targeting the international community and a book collecting signatures of people affected by maternal deaths in Uganda.

The online petition, with an open letter to President Yoweri Museveni and the speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga is urging the government to pay attention because this is a matter of life and death.

And a book launched two months ago has so far attracted 1,700 signatures from people who have been affected by maternal deaths- orphans, widowers and all those who have had a relative die in childbirth.

“We want to keep the momentum at the grassroots and also build pressure on the government that is why we have the book and now the online petition,” said Mabel Kukunda, advocacy and networking officer, Uganda Network of Health Consumer Organizations (UNHCO).

“We are hopeful that the Justices will acknowledge the plight of mothers in Uganda, and deliver a ruling that compels government to dramatically increases investments in essential medicines, in recruitment and remuneration of health personel and in equipping health facilities so that women get the services they need to survive and thrive before, during and after delivery,” the online petition reads.

 Background to the case

Sylvia Nalubowa died on 10 August 2009 from complications of obstructed labor while giving birth to her second twin baby in the eighth pregnancy.

Earlier, her husband Stephen Sebiragala was referred to Mityana district hospital about 15 kilometers away after being turned away twice at health centres with a midwife missing in one and a twin born in another health centre but the case became complicated.

At Mityana Hospital the staff demanded sh50, 000 ($ 20) before Sylvia could be attended to which was meant to purchase a ‘Mama kit’, a requirement of the cost sharing policy in Uganda, where mothers are expected to carry a kit containing basics to be used in the delivery of new babies.

Sebiragala, the widower says that if he had not had to spend so much money transporting his wife, he would have had enough money to save the lives of both Sylvia and his child. But even then, there was no medical doctor in theater so both Sylvia and the second twin died at Mityana hospital.

Jennifer Anguko, a mother of three was admitted to Arua Hospital on December 10 2010 with intense labor pains and waited for 15 hours for a doctor to carry out a caesarean section.

She died of obstructed labor after the uterus ruptured. Four other women died in the maternity ward that same day.

The petitioners argue that the tragic deaths of Sylvia Nalubowa and Anguko Jennifer are but two manifestations of a larger problem of an unacceptably high rate of maternal mortality in Uganda.

“Our hope is in the decision by Constitutional Court to compel government on its obligations to address the crisis of maternal mortality,” said Russell.

Ends-