At least seven million children under the age of five die each year due to malnutrion, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. To help reduce this rate, Rotarians
provide immunizations and antibiotics to babies, improve access to essential medicalservices, and support trained health care providers for mothers and their children.
According to the World Bank, 310 women die in Uganda for every 100,000 live births, compared with just 21 in the United States and 12 inthe United Kingdom.
Infants fare even worse. In Uganda, 45 out of 1000 infants never reach the age of one, compared with six in the US and just four in the UK. Kenya and Tanzania’s infant and maternal mortality rates are also disturbing. Add in the HIV/AIDS crisis, poverty and inadequate – or nonexistent – clinics
and it’s clear that programs like these are needed more than ever in East Africa. To address this challenge, The Rotary Foundation and AgaKhan University
are working together to provide nursing professionals the skills and education they need to improve the lives of mothers and their children in East Africa.
Twenty-four students were given Rotary scholarships to advance their nursing education in Uganda. They graduated with either a Registered Nurse or
Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. Thanks to The Rotary Foundation these students now carry out programs to teach health care to men and women in their
communities, and are taking part in outreach programs to reduce the deaths of infants.
Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation allowed this to happen!
