NMS General Manager Moses Kamabare addresses religious leaders and stakeholders in Entebbe
KAMPALA: Uganda’s National Medical Stores (NMS) has defended its record on maternal health, saying Mama Kits – basic birth packs distributed nationwide – are entirely free. The agency has urged the public to report any health workers charging mothers for them.
“Mama Kits are completely free of charge. The government spends billions to provide them so no mother should pay,” NMS spokesperson Sheila Nduhukire said.
“Any fee is illegal and must be reported.”
The kits, containing gloves, gauze, soap, cotton wool, umbilical tape, a razor blade and a plastic sheet, are distributed to hospitals and health centres across Uganda.
Officials say they have been critical in reducing maternal deaths, which have fallen to 189 per 100,000 live births from 438 in 2011.
NMS says it consistently delivers supplies to districts. But it acknowledges some challenges at facility level, where items are sometimes hoarded or diverted.
“Once we deliver, health workers and local leaders must ensure mothers get them,” Nduhukire said.
Despite this, some mothers still report charges. “We were told there was a shortage and asked to buy our own gloves,” said Justine Nankya, who delivered in Mukono.
The Uganda Demographic Health Survey shows facility deliveries now account for 74% of births, up from 37% in 2000. Analysts believe the number could be higher if informal charges were eliminated.
NMS has encouraged communities to be proactive. “We ask mothers to speak up. The more they report, the more accountability there will be,” Nduhukire said.
Health experts suggest steps such as toll-free hotlines, posters in maternity wards, and stronger district oversight to support NMS’s efforts.
For Uganda’s mothers, the assurance is clear: Mama Kits are free. The challenge, NMS says, is ensuring that promise is honoured in every health facility.