Using Leadership and Management Practices to Improve Reproductive Health Services in Uganda:The Case of Kagando Hospital

Using Leadership and Management Practices to Improve Reproductive Health Services in Uganda:The Case of Kagando Hospital

Uganda’s high maternal mortality ratio is one symptom of the inadequacies of the Ugandan health system. For every 100,000 live births in Uganda, 438 mothers die, compared to 320 in nearby Rwanda, for example, or 16 in developed countries. While many factors contribute to the poor quality of health services, lack of leadership and management skills is one of the major causes, according to Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MOH).

In the past decade, decentralization of health services to local governments has exposed the need for stronger leadership and management at the district and facility levels. The ability to manage resources, use data, assure accountability and quality, plan, supervise, and coordinate are crucial for being able to deliver and scale up life-saving services and interventions.

Managers of health programs, services, and health institutions in Uganda are mostly clinicians with limited management skills. STRIDES for Family Health collaborated with the MOH and adopted Management Sciences for Health’s (MSH) Leadership Development Program (LDP) to improve management and leadership in districts, health institutions, and communities to improve health outcomes. STRIDES conducted the LDP in nine districts with 333 district staff, including health workers from 54 facilities that together serve more than five million people.