St. John XXIII Hospital Aber, in partnership with Dioraphte, Health[e]Foundation and Equator Medicare, proudly launched the Empowering Health Heroes initiative, a project dedicated to strengthening maternal and child healthcare services in Northern Uganda. The program blends digital innovation, capacity building, and community engagement to equip nurse-midwives with the essential knowledge, tools, and skills to improve care delivery for mothers and newborns.
Context and Rationale
Despite ongoing national efforts, Uganda continues to report high maternal and child mortality rates, especially in rural and underserved regions. According to national statistics, the maternal mortality ratio stands at 189 per 100,000 live births, new born mortality rate stands at 18 per 1000 live birth and under-five mortality at 40.5 per 1,000 live births—figures that remain well above Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. The contributing factors include limited access to quality antenatal and postnatal care (ANC/PNC), under-resourced healthcare facilities, inadequate community awareness, and a shortage of skilled health workers.
To address these issues, St. John XXIII Hospital Aber, together with Health[e]Foundation and Equator Medicare, developed a comprehensive project funded by Dioraphte. The initiative focuses on:
- Improving health worker capacity through a blended e-learning program;
- Enhancing patient education and follow-up using LUCY Care Apps;
- Strengthening community health systems through sustainable, localized approaches.
Project Design and Implementation
1. MCH[e]Education Blended Learning Program
Developed by Health[e]Foundation and tailored by experts from St. John XXIII Hospital, the e-learning platform consists of six interactive modules:
- Antenatal Care
- Respectful Maternity Care
- Labor and Birth
- Postpartum Hemorrhage
- Essential Newborn Care
- Childhood Diseases
The course was hosted on Moodle and accessible both online and offline, making it ideal for rural health workers with limited internet access. Pre- and post-tests were used to assess knowledge gains, with a minimum pass score of 70% for certification.
From participating in the e-learning training, I realized I had forgotten many things since I went to school. I’m excited to learn at my own pace at home because traveling to school after work is difficult.
Project Participant
2. Mobile Health Solutions: LUCY Care and LUCY Mom Apps
As part of the Empowering Health Heroes initiative, two innovative mobile applications—LUCY Care and LUCY Mom—have been introduced to strengthen the continuum of maternal and newborn care through digital engagement. Two complementary mobile applications support the digital health ecosystem:
- LUCY Care App: Designed for nurses/midwives, this app helps track clinical visits, send ANC/PNC reminders, promote safe motherhood, and support mental health. It works on smart phones and is available in English and Lango, making it ideal for reaching mothers in rural areas.
- LUCY Mom App: Designed for expectant and newborn mothers with smartphones, this app offers timely health tips, milestone tracking, appointment reminders, and newborn care guidance. Midwives are trained to register and support clients in using the app.
Both apps are available in English and Local language, ensuring accessibility for users in rural areas. Nurses/midwives were trained to promote and support usage of the apps among their clients.
Project Milestones
Project Launch: Kick-off Workshops in January 2025
The project officially launched with a kick-off workshops from January 20th to 23rd, 2025, hosted at St. John XXIII Hospital Aber in Oyam District. The workshops brought together 55 midwives and nurses from St. John XXIII Hospital and lower health facilities in Oyam district. Key stakeholders from the Oyam District Health Office (DHO) also participated in the inaugural session.
Objectives of the Kick-off Workshops:
- Introduce participants to the Empowering Health Heroes project and its goals.
- Provide a detailed overview and practical training on the MCH[e]Education blended e-learning course.
- Demonstrate the LUCY Care mHealth application and facilitate test-user registration.
- Deliver expert-led sessions on maternal health topics such as epidemiology of MCH, high-risk pregnancy, malnutrition, and cervical cancer screening.
April 2025: In-Person Training and Graduation
To consolidate learning and reinforce clinical practice, the project held a four-day in-person training session from April 7th to 10th, 2025 at St. John XXIII Hospital Aber. The session brought together all participants from the initial workshops, providing a valuable opportunity to:
- Assess knowledge retention and clinical application
- Conduct practical demonstrations and case discussions
- Address knowledge gaps and challenges encountered in the field
Images from the Training
Group assessement
Practical demonstration
Nutrition Session
Traning session
Ward Session
Group interaction
Group Assessement
Interactive group session
Group engagement
Training Schedule and Achievements:
- April 7–8, 2025: The first cohort of 25 midwives underwent final assessments and successfully graduated.
- April 9–10, 2025: A second cohort of 25 midwives completed the program and were also awarded certificates.
Out of the 55 nurse-midwives who initially enrolled in the program, 50 participants met or exceeded the required 70% pass mark, demonstrating strong understanding and application of the course content. These participants were formally recognized for their excellence, commitment, and dedication to improving maternal and newborn care in their communities. Each was awarded a certificate of completion as a testament to their achievement.
The training concluded with a certificate ceremony officiated by the Assistant District Health Officer (MCH) of Oyam District, who congratulated the participants and applauded the hospital and partners for empowering this initiative. She also encouraged graduates to apply their new knowledge diligently to improve health outcomes in their respective communities.
This initiative is more than a training, it is a call to action. I commend all midwives for embracing innovation and thank the project partners for this forward-thinking investment in community health.
Sr. Sidonia Akello, Assistant District Health Officer (MCH), Oyam District.
Sustaining Impact and Looking Forward
Following the workshops and graduation, the project entered the self-directed learning and implementation phase. Graduates are actively:
- Enrolling women into the LUCY Care app
- Sharing knowledge with peers and communities
- Integrating digital learning tools into their daily work
Support continues through:
- A dedicated WhatsApp support group for mentorship and troubleshooting
- Periodic data collection and in-person synchronization of learning progress
- Ongoing monitoring and evaluation led by the project team
Conclusion
The Empowering Health Heroes project has demonstrated that digital tools and community-driven training can meaningfully improve healthcare delivery in low-resource settings. By building the capacity of nurses/midwives and empowering mothers with timely health information, the initiative contributes directly to reducing preventable maternal and child deaths in Uganda.
As a training center and district referral facility, St. John XXIII Hospital Aber remains committed to promoting excellence in healthcare through partnerships, innovation, and compassionate service.
