NGONZI NSA INITIATIVE (NNI)

NNI Background

Dr. Sr. Priscilla Busingye, a member of the Religious Institute of the Daughters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Banyatereza) in Uganda, founded the NNI in April 2021, along with her religious order, and in association with African Mission Healthcare (AMH) and Collaborating for Better Health (CBH).

The creation of NNI was stimulated by Sr. Priscilla receiving the prestigious AMH Gerson L’Chaim (To Life) Award for Outstanding Christian Medical Missionary Service in 2020. The award focused on the life-changing care Sr. Priscilla has provided in rural Uganda since 2003, first as a medical officer and continuing her work as she became a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology in 2008. Sr. Priscilla is recognized in Uganda and internationally for her commitment to safe and compassionate care for mothers and babies. As the Medical Director of Holy Family Virika Hospital, Sr. Priscilla was instrumental in training Ugandan healthcare providers including Master’s level specialists, health officers, nurses, and midwives. She initiated birth injury surgery camps for mothers, to improve their health and facilitate their return to families and communities. The surgery camps covered all the patients’ expenses in the hospital and also focused on training local healthcare workers. This experience, along with her recent work at St. Francis Nsambya hospital in Kampala, inspired Sr. Priscilla to use the L’Chaim Award prize to develop the NNI.

The NNI is directed by the Banyatereza Sisters General Council, with Sr. Priscilla serving as the Executive Medical Director and Sr. Gertrude Kabanyomozi, serving as the Director of Operations. The initiative is strengthened by essential partnerships across local communities as well as the mission health care partners, local Catholic dioceses, Uganda Catholic Medical Board, and Uganda Health Ministry. Sr. Priscilla currently divides her professional work between St. Francis Nsambya hospital in Kampala, and Rwibaale Health Center IV, and three AMH partner health facilities included in the NNI.

NNI Strategic Plan

The NNI is comprised of four key initiatives:

Transforming Maternal and Child Health in Southwest Uganda
1. Emergency C-section Program in Rwibaale, Nyakibale, Rushoroza, and Ibanda facilities
  1. Training in emergency obstetrics care
  2. Instituting best in class patient experience

Surgical camps for birth injury repair

Impact and outcomes assessment

Training Catholic Sisters as health care workers
Developing Rwibaale Health Centre IV into a world class hospital
1. Implementing Quality of Care Standards
2. Establishing a process of continuous quality improvement through training and education
Sustaining Universal Health Coverage using a capitation financing model
1. Incorporating Maternal and Child Health Services into Meso, a software program used to document billing and healthcare usage
2. Developing high quality Maternal and Child Health Services: antenatal care, delivery, and postnatal care for the Rwibaale population

NNI Key Partnerships

The initiative is strengthened by essential partnerships.

Health Care Facilities

Therese of Lisieux Rwibaale Health Centre IV (Hub Health Facility)
Karoli Lwanga Hospital, Nyakibale (Participating Health Facility)
Our Lady of Good Health Rushoroza Hospital (Participating Health Facility)
Uganda Martyrs Hospital Ibanda (Participating Health Facility)

Local Communities served by the health care facilities noted above. Community involvement is elicited from local government and community leaders, local health care authorities, patients, and community members.

Catholic Dioceses: