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Bunyangabu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN Uganda stepped up support for maternal and newborn healthcare in western Uganda, taking its annual employee volunteer programme to Kibiito Health Centre IV in Bunyangabu District as part of efforts to strengthen services at the primary-care level.
The two-day intervention, held on August 6 and 7, brought together MTN employees, district officials, healthcare workers, community members and development partners. The programme included a community health camp offering screening, registration and health education, alongside training for medical records officers on the Electronic Medical Records Information System (EMRIS).
Village Health Teams and community health workers received digital literacy training, while MTN MoMo conducted financial literacy sessions. The programme also included tree planting as part of its wider community and environmental activities.
Kibiito is the first of four health facilities to benefit from MTN Uganda’s 2026 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign, which is being implemented under the theme “Expand Equitable Health for Every Community.” The campaign’s interventions and infrastructure support are valued at more than Shs 600mn and will extend to Maddu Health Centre IV in Gomba District, Kiyunga Health Centre IV in Luuka District and Karita Health Centre IV in Amudat District.
The programme comes as Uganda seeks to improve maternal and newborn outcomes by strengthening frontline healthcare, particularly in communities where access to specialised services remains limited.
Franklin Kano Ocharo, general manager for growth and new business at MTN Uganda, said the company’s approach was to work alongside public health institutions rather than operate independently of them.
“Y’ello Care is about strengthening the systems, skills and services that allow mothers, newborns and families to receive timely and quality care,” Ocharo said.
The intervention also reflects the growing role of private companies and development partners in supporting public healthcare infrastructure and digitalisation. At Kibiito, the focus on electronic medical records and digital skills forms part of a broader effort to improve the way health facilities manage information and engage communities.
Dr Richard Obeti, Bunyangabu District Health Officer, said support at facility level could make a practical difference to healthcare delivery.
“When health facilities have the right digital systems, trained personnel and informed communities, they are better positioned to provide services to mothers and children when they need them,” he said.
MTN Uganda said the Kibiito intervention builds on more than a decade of support for maternal and newborn healthcare. The company says it has provided more than Shs7.5bn to programmes in the sector, supporting 36 health facilities across 49 districts and reaching more than one million beneficiaries.
Ocharo said the investment reflected MTN Uganda’s broader objective of contributing to stronger and more resilient communities.
The campaign will move to Maddu, Kiyunga and Karita health centres in the coming weeks, extending activities covering maternal and child health, digital literacy and community empowerment.
Now in its 19th year, 21 Days of Y’ello Care is an MTN Group employee volunteer programme through which staff across its markets contribute their time, expertise and skills to community development initiatives.
The campaign is being implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Exquisite Solution Limited, Uganda Blood Transfusion Service, Clinic Pesa, GHE Consulting, UNIFI and Maendeleo Foundation.
The 2026 campaign was shifted from its traditional June schedule following Uganda’s response to the Ebola outbreak, with the initiative resuming after public health priorities had stabilised.
