NML-ISSUE 10

In this edition, we sit down with Andrew Kamau, BScN, RN, a critical care nurse as he tells us his story of being both a frontline provider and a survivor of Covid-19…see full interview on page 12.

The Nurses and Midwives Letter Issue 10

THE NURSE & MIDWIVES LEADERS’ THINK TANK Year of the Health and Care Workers 2021

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TABLE OF CONTENTS REMARKS FROM CHAIR NMLTT .................................................................................................................. 3 ROLE NURSES AND MIDWIVES PLAY IN HEALTH CARE PROVISION IN UGANDA ........................ 4 FEATURED ARTICLES..................................................................................................................................... 5 ARE PREGNANT WOMEN ELIGIBLE FOR COVID 19 VACCINATION? .................................................. 5 THE ROLE OF MEN IN PROMOTING BREASTFEEDING. .......................................................................... 7 INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW KYAMAGERO .............................................................................................. 9 INTERVIEW FROM CRITICAL CARE NURSE: ANDREW KAMAU ........................................................ 12 IN THE NEWS .................................................................................................................................................. 15 VIRTUAL PRAYERS FOR DECEASED COLLEAGUES ............................................................................. 15 WEBINAR ON COVID 19 AND VACCINATION AMONG PREGNANT AND LACTATING WOMEN 15 WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK - AUG 1-7, 2021: PROTECTING BREASTFEEDING, A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY............................................................................................................................................ 16 NMLTT DONATES PPE TO ANAKA HEALTH CENTRE IV, NWOYA DISTRICT ................................. 18 RESOURCE LIST FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES ..................................................................................... 19 LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND ACADEMIC RESOURCES ............................................................... 19 NMLTT ON GOING ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................................. 20

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REMARKS FROM CHAIR NMLTT I welcome you to our 10th edition of the Nurses and Midwives Leaders Think Tank Newsletter (NMLTT). I am very excited to release yet another edition of the NMLTT Newsletter which will inform, inspire, and update you on what has been taking place in the Nursing and Midwifery Fraternity since the last issue

In this edition, we have featured Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health (MoH). In her remarks, she updates us on the steps the MoH is taking to address the Human Resource Challenge, specifically for nurses and midwives. She further encourages nurses and midwives to take up the Covid-19 vaccination. Allow me to appreciate her for this message and to also wish you the joyful reading of this issue.

Importantly, I call upon nurses and midwives to join me in congratulating Dr. Diana Atwine upon her second term appointment to the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health. May God Guide you Dr. Atwine, as you deliver your duties to and for this country. As nurses and midwives, we expect a lot from you, especially in reforming the profession and improving nurse’s welfare and we are ready to work with you to achieve this goal.

As we read this issue, let us be encouraged by the stories of recovery we have highlighted in this issue. In addition, let us be reminded that Covid-19 is still with us, please take care, Get Vaccinated, observe the SOPs and continue delivering nursing and midwifery services to humanity. May God be with you always.

Sincerely

Dr. Safinah Kisu Museene (PhD) Chair NML Think Tank

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ROLE NURSES AND MIDWIVES PLAY IN HEALTH CARE PROVISION IN UGANDA By: Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Uganda On behalf of the Ministry of Health and on my own behalf, I greet and thank all nurses and midwives for your service and always identifying strategies that build the profession. It is evident that nurses and midwives have enthusiasm and motivation in improving the health care system that builds a healthy population. Their enormous contributions in the provision of quality health care services can never be challenged. Nurses and midwives are truly the backbone of Health Care. During the pandemic, they made up the biggest number of frontline health workers and are visible at all levels of care and in all health facilities. Thank you to the Think Tank for your contributions in the fight against Covid 19 pandemic by providing PPE to nurses in some health facilities. This was through your individual contributions from meagre resources, and we are grateful for that. I encourage you to take Covid-19 vaccination seriously since you are at the highest risk of infections being at the forefront.

The Ministry of Health is aware of the shortage of nurses and midwives at all health care levels and all possible measures are being taken to address this situation. We have embarked on specialised training for nurses and midwives to match the identified needs such as the ongoing training of nurses in critical care.

The Ministry of Health is committed to improved health outcomes as a result of properly onboarded and engaged health workers by ensuring promotion, proper remuneration, recruiting and training in the required skills for nurses and midwives at all levels to promote quality health service delivery to our population. Given that a big proportion of the disease burden is due to preventable illnesses, nurses and midwives are best positioned to promote primary health care and practice the principles of accessibility, public participation, health promotion, use of appropriate technology and inter sectoral cooperation during their day-to-day engagements. This will boost participation in government community-based sectors to improve their hands-on provision of reasonable and timely access to public health care services.

Finally, as you are all aware, our country is now experiencing the second wave of the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Therefore, let me take this opportunity once again to urge all nurses and midwives to take up the Covid-19 vaccine at the earliest possible opportunity and continue observing SOPs. For God and My Country

Dr. Diana Atwine. Permanent Secretary, MoH, Uganda.

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FEATURED ARTICLES ARE PREGNANT WOMEN ELIGIBLE FOR COVID 19 VACCINATION? As countries worldwide continue to battle the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccination has been named as one of the most effective strategies in containing the disease and building herd immunity amongst the public.

The presence of novel vaccine technologies, the unprecedented partnerships and commitment from governments, vaccine manufacturers, private funders, and regulatory agencies, have facilitated the rapid development of Covid-19 vaccines. In March 2021 amidst a very tight global competition among countries for Covid-19 vaccines, Uganda, through the COVAX program received its first 864,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

These were rolled out as part of the first phase of vaccination countrywide but focusing mainly on priority groups such as healthcare workers, security personnel, teachers, humanitarian frontline workers, and people at high risk of severe Covid-19 such as the elderly.

On June 16th, 2021, Uganda received an additional 175,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the French government through the COVAX program. These additional doses aimed to ensure agencies with health workers and those eligible for their second dose get vaccinated.

As a nurse-midwife and women’s health specialist at the frontline, I prepared myself for the vaccine at the beginning of April. However, while at one of the vaccination centres, I witnessed pregnant and breastfeeding mothers being chased away. I proceeded to find out why these mothers were chased away, yet according to World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), they are eligible for the jab.

The nurses and midwives told me that according to the training conducted by the Ministry of Health before the vaccination process, they were informed that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers could not receive the vaccine.

Available health evidence (WHO, 2021) indicates that pregnant women are more likely to suffer severe forms of Covid-19 if they contracted the virus. It is also medically known that some medications like vaccines may not be recommended among this group of people. But at the start of July this year, while appearing on local television one evening, a renowned consultant obstetrician-gynaecologist and researcher from Kawempe National Referral Hospital reiterated that pregnant (more than 12 weeks’ gestation) and breastfeeding mothers are now eligible for Covid-19 as per the new and emerging evidence.

Why then are vaccination teams in Uganda practising contrary to the available evidence?

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I recently encouraged a pregnant colleague to go for her Covid-19 vaccine since emerging evidence supports its safety. As a result, my colleague drove to more than three vaccination sites. However, when she mentioned that she was 13 weeks pregnant, the vaccination teams would turn her away.

Has the Ministry of Health not communicated this new evidence to the implementers? Nurses and midwives have all along been the champions of all vaccination campaigns in Uganda and have won the public trust on that front. Therefore, the information they disseminate to the public plays a big role in enhancing vaccination campaigns.

There is a need for urgent intervention by the Ministry of Health to clarify and guide the vaccination teams and the public on the facts and myths of the Covid-19 vaccine, particularly for pregnant and lactating mothers.

Additionally, because the evidence on this disease and subsequent vaccines keeps on changing, there is a need to have routine engagement with all the frontline teams to keep them updated.

Lilian Nuwabaine Luyima is a trained nurse, midwife & women’s health specialist and continuous professional development coordinator at the Aga Khan University.

Empower Yourself: For additional resources, see the following:

1. WHO (2021). Covid-19 Vaccines: Safety Surveillance Manual: Safety surveillance of Covid-19 vaccines in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Accessible here: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/vaccine-safety/covid-vaccine-safety-inpregnancypublicconusltation01apr2021.pdf?sfvrsn=687f5396_10&download=true 2. ACOG (2021). Covid-19 Vaccination Considerations for Obstetric-Gynecologic Care. Accessible here: https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-advisory/articles/2020/12/covid-19vaccination-considerations-for-obstetric-gynecologic-care 3. CDC (2021). Covid-19 Vaccines While Pregnant or Breastfeeding. Accessible here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html 4. Keep track of the Fact Sheet on MoH website for emerging updates on Covid-19. Accessible here https://www.health.go.ug/covid/faq/

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THE ROLE OF MEN IN PROMOTING BREASTFEEDING. Male involvement in supporting breastfeeding can never be underestimated. As we come to the end of this year’s international celebration of the World Breastfeeding Week that started on 1st to 7th August under the theme; “Protect Breastfeeding: A Shared Responsibility”, we need to remind ourselves as men of our responsibilities in supporting breastfeeding. A clear understanding of the importance of breastfeeding to not only the baby and mother but also to your family and community as a whole would oblige every man to do anything with their means to support breastfeeding. Breast milk has been scientifically proven as the single unrivalled meal every baby needs for the first six months of life to ensure survival, growth, health and their wellbeing in later life. It has all the nutrients the baby needs during this period. It's clean and easily digestible thus eliminating diseases like colic, constipation, diarrhea among others. Breast milk is very important in building the babies’ immunity against many childhood diseases and developing the child’s brain. If practiced religiously, breastfeeding can serve as a very good family planning for many couples.

Talking about breastfeeding with couples is very amazing. It is the best, most enjoyable, hardest, most beautiful, frustrating thing many couples have ever done. Therefore, breastfeeding ought to be a family affair with men playing a very central role in motivating mothers to continue breastfeeding. In our patriarchal society, men are the breadwinners in most families and have a key position in the decisions taken for the family. During this period, every man should ensure that the wife has a well-balanced diet; one that they can afford as a family to ensure good feeding for the mother. Mothers easily get tired during this period therefore supporting with house chores and caring for the baby or finding a house helper would be a very great decision. We must be reminded that the psychosocial environment of the mother plays a very big role in her ability to breastfeed. Therefore, men should aim at creating the best ever psychosocial space for their ladies during this period. Always encourage your wife to have enough drinks and have meals on time, minimize the visitors so that she can have enough time to rest, take care of the older children, have good communication and support her in every way possible.

As health workers, we have noticed there are several challenges working women go through during the lactation period with many workplaces having no structures and systems that support breastfeeding. In a country like Uganda where men are the biggest employers or heads of companies and institutions that employ women, we can take a decision to be breastfeeding champions. Take a quick thought. How long is maternity leave at your organization? Does that period facilitate exclusive breastfeeding? How do you support mothers as an organization during this period? Are those women who wish to come with their babies at work allowed? Does your organization have any designated conducive area where your female employees can comfortably breastfeed their babies?

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Having expert talks on breastfeeding for your employees, providing designated private space for breastfeeding or expressing milk, allowing flexible work schedules that support breastfeeding during work, giving nursing mothers options for working from home if possible, extending maternity leave and having on site or near site childcare facilities are some of the strategies you can adopt to transform your organization into a model workplace for supporting breastfeeding.

Finally, to our cabinet members and members of parliament, of which the majority are still men; may you please come up with policies that support breastfeeding especially at workplaces. In both private and public settings. If all men took on their role in supporting women and creating spaces that support breastfeeding, then our babies and women shall enjoy the best experience of breastfeeding on our land, and this will be a great step in kicking many childhood illnesses and malnutrition out of Uganda.

By Lubega Martin A BSN-Nurse based in Kampala Uganda Author of the My Pregnancy Handbook, a pregnancy guide for women.

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INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW KYAMAGERO COVID-19! A PERSONAL BATTLE: A SURVIVOR'S TALE FROM CRITICAL ILLNESS TO REGAINING HEALTH In recent months, we have heard numerous stories of those we have lost to Covid-19. Very rarely, have we pursued stories of those who have suffered and subsequently recovered from Covid-19/. In this issue we catch up with two different essential workers, a well-established journalist, and a critical care nurse. These are stories of despair, resilience, hope, faith and survival.

Andrew, kindly introduce yourself to our readers My name is Andrew Kyamagero, a journalist at NTV and the team leader of Omuntu Wawansi foundation. Am a father to 2 children and a husband to one wife. This is a great achievement and am proud of it (laughs)…

You have been very vocal in sharing that you are a survivor of Covid-19, can you share with us how all this started, what prompted you to test and confirm you had been infected with Covid-19?

I got the first jab for Covid-19 Vaccination in April this year while I was reporting at a vaccination event.

Around the first week of May, I got a headache and felt strange, but I refused to self-medicate. I went to see my doctor who gave me some medication and I got slightly better. On May 5th, - I got a pounding headache, started feeling weak, and developed very high temperatures. I told my supervisor that I was not feeling well and was granted permission to leave. I left work and drove home while panting, with bad joint aches, teary eyes, headache and was driving very slowly.

Next time you are on the road and see someone driving slowly, ask them if they are ok instead of shouting at them.

I reached home and called my wife who called my doctor. My doctor said that there were no beds at Mulago, and he advised us to go to Paragon Hospital in Bugolobi instead. When I reached Paragon Hospital I blacked out and I was put on life support machines. They did all the tests and that's how they confirmed I had Covid-19.

Immediately I regained my consciousness and saw the machines, I knew this was Covid-19.

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What was the journey like for you, from the time you discovered you had been infected to your time of recovery? What was the biggest challenge for you?

My biggest challenge was being in the ICU where friends and family were not allowed to see you except if one has money and pays 100,000 Ugx. At that time, I didn't even know it was possible to pay and they allowed a family member to see you. The loneliness is the hardest part because you are in there alone. Actually Covid-19 is like the modern-day leprosy where you are isolated and alone.

I was in a vegetative state and could not talk. One health worker wrote on a pink manila paper which had three sentences; We are doing what we can to save you; Your Friends and family are praying with you; and lastly confirm what you have read. He held it up for me to read. For a man who lives off talking, this was very hard and very scary. So, I kept reminding myself of what I know, my name is Andrew Kywamgero, I am a journalist, I am a father to two children and a husband. This kept me going.

I also tapped into my spiritual being. You become vulnerable, and I chose to be vulnerable to God and asked him to heal me. In my darkest hour, I turned to God and indeed he came to be my refuge. I was also worried about the bills; how would my wife manage with the bills. When I regained consciousness, I asked my wife if we had any money left. She told me to just get better.

It was really a difficult moment, even when I got out of the Intensive Care Unit, I was weak and still in pain.

One day my wife saw me tossing and turning in my bed and she told me: “please don't die”. When you see someone whom you consider strong say something like that, it's really scary.

I continued to affirm what I knew and told myself that I will get better. After I was discharged, I started steaming, walking around, and doing exercises. I lost my appetite, but I had to try my best to eat with the encouragement of my wife.

Can you share with us what it was like in hospital for you, what role did health workers play, did you feel that they provided holistic care that was supportive for your recovery process?

What I saw when I was in the ICU, I will never forget! I saw 5 people on my left and 6 on my right die. It was a very traumatising experience for me. However, I saw the support provided to me, the swiftness in providing care for me, checking on me if I was breathing well, was remarkable so I really appreciate that. Health workers were wearing white suits and I was just seeing their height so I could tell it was the height that saw me in the morning, came to check on me in the evening and the same height the next day. That's how I could tell that it's the same person. Their salaries need to be increased by far. With this experience, I hope to start a medical facility in Kakiri so that my community can also get the best care. I was able to get that care but how about those who cannot afford it. I need to ensure that even my people in Kakiri or elsewhere can get access to quality health care like I did.

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Specifically, how did the nurses providing care for you interact with you or your care takers? Were you or your caretakers satisfied with the care provided?

My wife was trained on what to expect. They told her he is going to snap, be short-tempered, may have temporary amnesia and so on. They trained my wife on how to take care of me and what I would be experiencing so she wouldn't be surprised. This was important, I asked my wife how she knew everything, and she said the nurses trained her.

Yes, I was very satisfied with the care they provided to me when I was in the ICU and when I was recovering.

My wife was trained on what to expect. They told her he is going to snap, be short-tempered, may have temporary amnesia and so on. They trained my wife on how to take care of me and what I would be experiencing so she wouldn't be surprised. This was important, I asked my wife how she knew everything, and she said the nurses trained her.

When I see a Nurse, one thing I am sure of is that I am going to be ok. They are friendly calm and teach you the pace of life. They don't panic, they will explain to you the drugs and effects, all the procedures being done, doctors don't do that. They will remember to check on you the next day to find out how you are feeling. If a particular drug is itching, they explain to you why it's happening and maybe it may be from the combination of drugs you may be taking.

From a patient’s perspective, what are those things health workers need to keep doing and what should they improve?

The comfort - you are not sure if you will come out alive so that encouragement they provide is really needed.

The person who held up the pink manila paper for me was really exceptional. This gave me the will to fight on and recover. I will never forget this person. When my appetite was low, they advised me to eat. Plus, all the advice they provided to my wife before leaving the hospital was important. Covid-19 has made it clear that it’s a personal battle and the nurses play a critical role in supporting you to fight this battle and recover.

What they need to improve is communication amongst each other. Sometimes they make assumptions that another nurse has provided the medication and yet they have not. Sometimes you hear one saying, I thought this was given by the previous nurse and then they tell you that you will be behind on this medication by one hour.

To the powers that be, Covid-19 is a wakeup call that that nurse, doctors and all health workers deserve better than we provide. They should therefore be paid and given all the resources they require to do their work. I want to thank nurses around the globe, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have healed. The comfort they provided for me, the advice and counsel I and my wife received enabled me to heal. Therefore, we need to continue praying for them so that they continue doing their jobs well.

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INTERVIEW FROM CRITICAL CARE NURSE: ANDREW KAMAU Many critical care nurses have been on the frontline of the Covid-19 pandemic fight. They have worked long hours. They have seen their friends and colleagues succumb to the virus. And some have contracted the disease while at work. We catch up with one survivor, Mr. Andrew Kamau.

Andrew, tell us a little about who Andrew Kamau is I am A nurse, BScN, RN with most of my experience being in intensive care units (ICU). My hobbies are listening to music and playing basketball. I have a wife and am a father of two lovely girls. Am Kenyan, who came to Uganda to study but stayed longer than planned mostly due to my marriage.

How long have you lived in Uganda and what is your favourite thing(s) about Uganda?

My favorite things about Uganda include the friendliness of the people, the relatively affordable cost of living, and that my wife who is a Ugandan is here.

At what point in your career did you transition into your current work/role? There may be some readers looking to make this transition themselves. Walk us through these steps and the advice that you would give them.

I started working in ICU in 2013 (during my internship) as a part time job. I have been working in ICU for about 8 years now. After 4 years’ experience, I have taken on leadership roles in two ICUs so far. My advice to nurses who would like to be able to take a similar path to mine in any nursing specialty; you are most likely to be working in a hospital where several procedures or routines are not done in line with ‘best practice’/up to date research. This is either due to resource limitation or gaps in continuing medical education. Gather as much knowledge as possible, always strive to find out what the best practices are (especially from your contacts in more advanced/resource-rich hospitals or from reading). Make use of this knowledge every day to cause a positive impact on your patient care and operations of your workplace. You can start this even before you become a leader. When you have knowledge, share it often. People appreciate and reward you in different ways.

And what are some of the lessons you have learned in your career that are crucial for other nurses?

There are lessons I have learnt in my career that might be relevant to other nurses. One is that nurses are the health workers whose interventions have the biggest influence on the patient's outcomes. Even though nurses have their own challenges, any gaps/sloppiness in nursing care could negatively influence patient outcomes.

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As a Frontline Health Worker in the ICU, you see some of the worst hit cases; those who are critically ill from Covid 19; tell us a bit about your experiences there. What are the highs and lows of your work?

In critical care we always deal with people whose life is in danger, mostly people with one or more of their vital organs/organ systems failing. Covid -19 has caused surges in the numbers of patients that require admission to intensive care units. The fear of possible exposure to the disease while caring for the ill has changed a lot of our workplace dynamics. At my workplace, I provide direct care to patients and also have supervisory roles. Intensive care has been challenging lately especially during waves of Covid19: Staff shortages, colleagues falling sick, heavy workload, bad patient outcomes and difficult employers. Despite all the challenges, there is no one to do the job but us.

With the high death toll especially in the 2nd wave, how did you and your team manage the grief from the family and its effects on your mental health what are some of your coping mechanisms?

The grief was there but people kept working, they know that it is their job. Many of my colleagues also help the relatives to deal with their grief. For most families, there will be a doctor, nurse or other hospital worker who they have become fond of. We support the families where we can. In the second wave, however, a colleague of ours, friendly to all of us, an ENT surgeon 35yrs old was admitted to our ICU. It was a very difficult two weeks of us caring for him. His death devastated and demoralized the team. People cried and mourned, eventually we had to keep doing our job. People have different coping mechanisms. Mine is finding time to be home, getting time to play a game at least once a week. I think some of us ICU nurses even cope by overworking in such times, the money makes one happy.

If a nurse wanted to specialise in Critical Care or start working in ICU, what advice would you give them.

What are some of the benefits or some of the brighter spots of working in such in the Critical care specialty?

I think all nurses should have some ICU experience; it builds one's ability to" save lives": which is what we nurses all claim to do for a living.

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You are a COVID-19 survivor, and many of your fellow frontliners are as well. Tell us more about this experience being diagnosed with COVID-19, were you scared, hopeful, what was the treatment regimen and how did you handle it?

I had a mild form of the disease when I tested positive for Covid-19. I only felt really bad for two days. I was very hopeful that I would heal. I took vitamin C supplements and antimalarials since I had malaria at the same time.

What are the top 3 things that helped you beat the COVID-19? How did you handle the COVID-19 related stigma?

I think outcomes are a matter of chance and not probably a result of anything in our control. Vaccination seems to be offering good protection now, it's our best protection against the virus. It's terrible for the 2% of us who end up with very sick lungs and the ones who lose their loved ones. I suffered no stigma when I was sick.

You have worked in over 5 ICUs in Kla (out of X ICUs) What next for Nurse Kamau? future plans in your career?

I intend to continue being involved in direct patient care and mentoring colleagues. In the next 10 years, I will have to choose between teaching nursing and an early retirement.

From your experience, what would you do to improve the ICU service delivery in the country?

In order to improve ICU services in the country, I think there is a need to retain experienced nurses by paying them well enough to keep them doing the bedside work and training new nurses.

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IN THE NEWS VIRTUAL PRAYERS FOR DECEASED COLLEAGUES Having realised tremendous loss among the nurses and midwifery fraternity and yet inability to physically be present for colleagues as is traditionally done in form of funerals and Requiem prayers, the Think Tank organised virtual prayers as an alternative to stand together in solidarity with friends and colleagues who had passed on in the previous past. These prayers brought together over 70 nurses and midwives with preachers from the various denominations.

WEBINAR ON COVID 19 AND VACCINATION AMONG PREGNANT AND LACTATING WOMEN The Think Tank organised a webinar for nurses and midwives to interact with various experts with the aim of providing an avenue for information sharing on the efficacy of vaccines among pregnant and lactating women. This webinar had over 400 people registered and 106 participants attended the webinar Each participant came in with a different expectation, “I am here to add unto what I already know’’, wrote Fredrick on a group chat immediately after joining the webinar. For most participants, the webinar was worthwhile as indicated in their chats that kept trickling in. “It was a learning experience for me’’, commented Patience in one of the very last chats as the webinar ended. A variety of inquiries were raised by the participants and the panelists elaborately responded to them. Some of these included the following: ● What are live vaccines? ● Is the vaccine safe in pregnancy? If yes, when is it safe to vaccinate a pregnant woman? Is the vaccine safe in the first trimester? Is the vaccine safe for pregnant women on ART? ● Is it safe to switch from one vaccine to another? ● Is it ok to give the covid vaccine with other vaccines like TT in pregnancy n if not what time interval should one wait. ● Is it ok to take FEFOL if Covid positive? ● How does the Covid 19 vaccine work in boosting immunity?

These questions were ably answered by the panelists and this was appreciated by all participants. We encourage you to join us on our next webinar.

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WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK - AUG 1-7, 2021: PROTECTING BREASTFEEDING, A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

Effective August 1 to August 7 every year, the world commemorates world breastfeeding week to spread awareness on the importance and need for breastfeeding. This year, similar to previous years, the Makerere University Nursing Students Association (MUNSA) in partnership with Seed Global Health joined the country and the rest of the world; other 170 countries to celebrate this week. This was done through a live televised talk show on UBC TV to raise awareness on the importance of breastfeeding to the public.

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To celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, nurses and midwives organised webinars to speak and share about the importance of breastfeeding. The Makerere University Nursing Students Association in partnership with Makerere University College of Health Sciences organised one such webinar on August 3, 2021. The webinar brought on board experts from various fields like nutrition, HIV, nursing and midwifery who shared information and experiences with over 400 participants that were in attendance from Uganda and globally.

To round it off, the Ministry of Health together with the National Midwives Association in Uganda (NMAU) organised another webinar on August 7 and over 90 participants attended this webinar.

Congratulations on all these milestones by Nurses and Midwives of Uganda. The president of NMAU reflected by saying: It was a great honour to host you during the recently held Zoom meeting to commemorate the world breast feeding week. I take this opportunity to appreciate your participation and feedback.

We believe that the journey to protect, promote, and support breast feeding should continue beyond the webinar or other commemoration events. It is this vain that I call upon all those who are interested in pursuing the breast feeding cause further, to send your expression of interest and ideas to nationalmidwivesassociationuganda@gmail.com or presidentnmau@gmail.com The power point slides for the presentations of the day as well as various links for useful resources on policies and programmes to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding can be obtained by emailing us.

We look forward to hearing from you soon Stay Safe. Warm Regards Annette Evelyn Kanyunyuzi President –NMAU Tel: 0772488906/ 0704482366

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NMLTT DONATES PPE TO ANAKA HEALTH CENTRE IV, NWOYA DISTRICT Like many parts of the country, Nwoya district had shortages in PPE. This contributed to covid 19 infections among staff while on duty. Unfortunately, one of our midwives succumbed to Covid 19.

At such a critical time, the Nursing and Midwifery leaders across the country contributed, procured, and supplied PPEs to Anaka hospital. This was a stitch in time.

L- R: RDC Nwoya (Agnes A. Ebong), ADHO MCHN Nwoya, Ag. PNO Anaka Hospital, In-charges of Maternity and casualty units receiving PPEs procured.

As the leadership of Nwoya district, we are immensely grateful for the support from the Nursing and Midwifery Leaders Think Tank to Anaka Hospital. Our nurses and midwives can now work comfortably with the appropriate PPE and less fear of getting infected. We still urge the government to supply us with more PPE.

Shoulders to the Wheel: We continue to fundraise We n e e d m o r e P P E for PPE so that we can respond to emerging “The fear of possible hotspots and send some exposure to the disease while caring for the ill supplies where they are h as changed a lot of our urgently needed. We workplace dynamics…” encourage nurses and Andrew Kamau, Critical Care Nurse midwives and all wellwishers to partner with the NMLTT in this undertaking. We have demonstrated credibility, transparency, and accountability with the resources we have thus far raised. To contribute, please send MM to the secretary of the NMLTT, Mrs. Emily Bako, MoH at +256 772-692-777. Please let us know (uganursemidwife.leaders@gmail.com ) about your contribution so that we can celebrate every win.

More than ever, we need to protect every nurse, midwife and other health workers on the frontline.

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NML Issue 10

NMLTT

2021

Protect.

Invest.

Together.

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RESOURCE LIST FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES Please find below a list of useful contacts to forward your concerns appropriately.

UNMC queries:- info@unmc.ug UNMU:- info@unmu.ug CPD APP concerns: martin@unmc.ug National organisations Education and training Standards: - Department of Nursing at Ministry of Health Health Education and Training (Min of Education and Sports) QUESTIONS? CALL: 0417 893600 (PRO) Mobile 0777108170 Benevolent fund: - Department of Nursing at Ministry of Health, Uganda Some of the associations AGNMU: graduates@agnmu.org Critical Care Association:president@ccnau.org Midwifery Association: nationalmidwivesassociationug@gmail.com Nursing and Midwives Society: info@nursesandmidwivessociety.org Emergency Care society of Uganda:- admin@ecsuganda.org Palliative care Association of Uganda:- pxau.admin@pcau.org.ug Others NMLTT (Think - Tank Leaders):- uganursemidwife.leaders@gmail.com Writing articles for publication on NHCC Uganda website:- editors.nhccuganda@gmail.com Global networking Nursing Now Campaign Uganda:- nursingnowuganda@gmail.com

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND ACADEMIC RESOURCES Access to Health Care journals (Discounted at 30%) In partnership with UGANDA NURSES and MIDWIVES ASSOCIATION UK (UNMA-UK), Markallen group UK (https://www.markallengroup.com/ma-healthcare/) has offered a 30% discount on their online subscriptions (MA Healthcare titles only) for UNMA-UK members. This has also been extended to Nurses and Midwives in Uganda as per UNMA-UK mission.

Use the confirmed discount code [UNBA30] to access a range of their healthcare journals.

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NML Issue 10

NMLTT

2021

Protect.

Invest.

Together.

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NMLTT ON GOING ACTIVITIES NMLTT continues to work in collaboration with the National Task Force in the Management of COVID- 19.

The Think Tank Newsletter editing team accepts articles on a rolling basis under the sub themes below.

• • • • •

Research and Innovation Continuing Professional development (CPD) Policy Leadership/Governance Clinical Practice Covid-19 Response.

The Think Tank will resume the regular meetings soon to check on progress and formulate strategies to support and advocate for Nurses and Midwives. We would like to thank Seed Global Health for the continued support for hosting our zoom meetings and webinars. We urge all nurse leaders to attend the meetings. Please send us your current email address in order to be included in a timely manner.

Our faith in you is steadfast. May you continue to rise up to the challenge in this International Year of the Health Care Worker by WHO - 2021. More than ever, this nation needs you. We thank you and May God bless you.

Please feel free to contact us with your concerns. If you find this Nurse & Midwife Letter useful, we would really like to hear from you. We continually evaluate and assess the progress of our communication channels with you.

Please email us at the address above.

Copy to:

The Hon Minister for Health The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health Ministry of Education and Sports The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Sports Department of Health Education and Training The Chairperson, NATIONAL TASK FORCE COVID 19 The President of Uganda Medical Association Commissioner Nursing Services, Ministry of Health Commissioner Health Education and Training All Nurses and Midwives

Compiled and edited by Think Tank Debrief Team on behalf of NMLTT: Dr Rose Clarke Nanyonga, Elizabeth Pearson, Irene Atuhairwe, Tracy Kobukindo, Judith Hope Kiconco, and Mr. Martin Lubega. Chairperson: Dr. Safinah Kisu Museene Informed disclaimer: - All editing team members are Nurses, and they are all volunteering their time and expertise. However, the views expressed in the articles are of the authors or writers solely. Although the editing team does the very best and is responsible for vetting the information, the authors’ opinions remain. It is, therefore, upon the authors to make sure that what they submit is referenced appropriately and accurately.

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