The Midwife Project in Uganda

A midwife-led education programme to reduce the harmful impact of biomass smoke
The Midwife Project in Uganda

Image: The 625. Midwives teaching Ugandan women

Biomass smoke exposure is harmful to pregnant women, the baby in utero, and in early years of life. There is limited information on effective strategies to raise awareness of the risk and reduce exposures amongst pregnant and postnatal women.
The intervention being implemented is a midwife-led education programme in the Jinja district of Uganda, aiming to teach midwives and other community healthcare workers about the dangers of biomass smoke and about reducing the risks to mother, foetus and young children.

This has been co-developed with the local healthcare workers and community members who will deliver it, across four health centres. We have designed, refined, tested and re-tested educational materials and the curriculum for the training programme.

For the training programme, following a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle, the education materials in the form of a flipchart, leaflet and poster, were approved for use by the Ministry of Health in Uganda.


Primary outcome measures included pre-post knowledge questionnaires for mothers, midwives and Village Health Teams, and interviews with mothers to examine behaviour change intentions. Follow-up interviews to assess long-term impact are currently being analysed and will inform progression to widespread roll-out of this education programme in other parts of rural Uganda.

<p>Children by smoky hut in Uganda</p>
Image: The 625
<p>Child cooking by a smoky pot in Uganda</p>
Image: The 625

Health promotion artwork

University of Plymouth BA (Hons) Illustration students, Rachel Simpson, Skye Liu Tianzi and Georgina Moram, produced some artwork to demonstrate the messages of The Midwife Project.

<p>Rachel Simpson, Skye Liu Tianzi and Georgina Moram, BA(Hons) Illustration at University of Plymouth.<br></p>

Education materials

Funding organisations