Partnerships Widen Reach of Stanbic’s Safe Motherhood Drive

August 27, 2026 in Companies by Editor

Stakeholders pose with some of the medical equipment donated by MTN Yello Care,Stanbic and other Private Partners

Stanbic Bank is widening its safe motherhood drive through partnerships, with interventions at Karita Health Centre IV and other facilities helping strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare in underserved communities.

 

Partnerships are emerging as a key pillar of Stanbic Bank Uganda’s efforts to improve maternal and newborn healthcare, enabling the bank to extend support beyond individual facilities to some of the country’s most underserved communities.

The approach is particularly evident in Karamoja, where Stanbic Bank Uganda has partnered with MTN Uganda and other stakeholders to strengthen maternal healthcare services at Karita Health Centre IV in Amudat District, at the southern edge of the Karamoja Sub-region.

Located in one of Uganda’s most remote regions, Karita serves a population far beyond its immediate catchment area, placing considerable pressure on its facilities and health workers.

For mothers in Karamoja, accessing specialised care can involve long distances, difficult terrain and limited transport options. Strengthening services closer to communities therefore becomes critical to reducing delays in seeking and receiving care.

Diana Ondoga, Manager, Corporate Social Investment at Stanbic Bank, said partnerships were helping address some of the structural barriers to quality maternal healthcare.

“For many expectant mothers, access to quality maternal healthcare has often been limited by distance, inadequate facilities, and a shortage of specialised services. Supporting impactful health partnerships aligns with our mission to drive growth and improve lives across Uganda.”

Under MTN Uganda’s Y’ello Care campaign, Stanbic Bank joined other organisations in supporting Karita and three other health centres with medical equipment and supplies, solar power equipment, ICT tools, bicycles and smartphones for Village Health Teams.

The intervention also included digital health training and community health activities, reflecting a broader effort to improve both the capacity of health facilities and the connection between healthcare workers and communities.

The campaign brought together private-sector companies, government agencies, NGOs and civil society organisations under the theme “Expand Equitable Health for Every Community.”

At Karita, the significance of the intervention extends beyond the equipment itself. Better-equipped facilities can give health workers greater capacity to respond to emergencies, while improved communication and mobility can help Village Health Teams reach mothers and families in hard-to-access communities.

The partnership builds on Stanbic Bank’s longer-term maternal health strategy. Three years ago, the bank, together with the Ministry of Health, launched the Corporate Society for Safe Motherhood (CSSM), a platform designed to mobilise resources and bring corporate organisations together to support efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality.

The initiative has increasingly focused on partnerships as a way of pooling resources and expertise around Uganda’s maternal healthcare challenges.

In June 2026, during the commissioning of a new maternity wing and operating theatre at Karita Health Centre IV, Stanbic donated medical equipment valued at more than UGX96 million as part of efforts to strengthen service delivery at the facility.

According to Dr George Ogwang, the facility’s in-charge, Amudat District has a population of more than 203,000, while Karita also serves about 40,000 people from neighbouring districts.

The expanded catchment area means the facility must cater for a substantial patient population despite operating in a remote and resource-constrained environment.

Ogwang said the additional support would strengthen the facility’s ability to respond to the needs of its catchment population, particularly mothers and newborns.

Karita was the final stop in the Y’ello Care campaign, following similar interventions at Kibiito Health Centre IV in Bunyangabu District, Maddu Health Centre IV in Gomba District and Kiyunga Health Centre IV in Luuka District.

For Stanbic, the model demonstrates how corporate social investment can be amplified when companies work with government and other private-sector players rather than pursuing isolated interventions.

“At Stanbic Bank, we are proud to be associated with the safe motherhood campaign and to partner with like-minded entities such as MTN Uganda, committed to creating sustainable community development and driving inclusive growth,” Ondoga said.

The bank has also continued to support maternal and child health through other partnerships.

Recently, Stanbic committed UGX600 million over three years to Rotary Mama Toto Care Uganda, while it also committed UGX200 million to the second edition of the Independence Marathon.

Together, the initiatives point to a broader strategy in which Stanbic is using partnerships, financial commitments and targeted support to strengthen Uganda’s health system and contribute to reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths.