Funder
The United Kingdom Department of Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Partner
Baylor Foundation Uganda, Uganda Association for Obstetrics and Gynaecologists, Communication for Development Foundation Uganda, Uganda Youth and Adolescent Health Forum
Overview
EMPOWER is a five-year initiative funded by the UK government. Through EMPOWER, Pathfinder works with the Ministry of Health, local partners, and district governments in strengthening Uganda’s health system to provide quality reproductive and maternal health services while empowering women and girls to make informed family planning (FP) choices. EMPOWER addresses harmful norms and misinformation to ensure equitable access to care across 80 districts and adapts high-impact Pathfinder innovations from programs like Act With Her and Beyond Bias.
EMPOWER Activities
Strengthen public-sector health system capacity to deliver maternal health/FP services:
- Ensuring quality of care.
- Integrating FP services in other services (maternal, newborn, child health and HIV).
- Performance monitoring and support for procurement
- Quantification, supply planning and stock monitoring.
Mentor health workers in maternal health/FP:
- Mentoring health workers on basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care, administration of long-acting reversible contraceptives, etc.
- Conducting integrated outreaches.
- Supporting Village Health Teams to conduct home visits.
- Preventing fistula.
Tackle myths and misconceptions about FP to drive demand generation.
- Partner with media including development of radio drama.
- Provide psychosocial support through the toll-free helpline.
- Use Interpersonal communication including community dialogues, drives, and targeted demand generation through existing platforms and structures.
