Maternal health services include preconception and family planning services, prenatal, maternity and postnatal care. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 targets to reduce by three-quarters by 2015, the maternal mortality ratio. The government of Uganda is unlikely to meet this MDG due to the existing challenges. In Uganda, all pregnant women face some level of maternal risk. According to WHO, 40% of pregnant women will experience delivery complications; 15% need obstetric care to save their life. However, poor access to quality maternal and neonatal care, have continued to expose Ugandan mothers and infants to a high risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. Other high risk related causes include;
• Physical and psychological violence against pregnant mothers
• A system of "cost sharing," whereby hospitals charge for treatments leads most pregnant mothers resort to cheaper, traditional birth attendants rather than attend a hospital.
• Early pregnancy in adolescents and short pregnancy intervals coupled with an overall low use of contraceptives due to a lot of myths that surround the usage of them.
• Inadequate skills to handle maternity and postnatal care, lack of basic equipment, supplies and drugs in most health units.
• Prevalence of HIV/AIDS among pregnant women has also been a factor in poor maternal outcomes. For example in Mityana district 58% of pregnant women give birth outside health facilities. The practice does not allow early detection of HIV and exposes the women to quick progression of HIV to AIDS without any treatment.
• Malaria is one of the leading causes of morbidity in pregnant women but prevention and prophylaxis services are not accessed by women who give birth outside the health facilities.