STM Commissions Expanded Tyler Jones Labour Suite at Mukono General Hospital
Introduction
On 12 December 2025, Save the Mothers East Africa (STM), in partnership with Uganda Christian University (UCU), officially commissioned the expanded and fully equipped Tyler Jones Labour Suite at Mukono General Hospital. This milestone represents a significant advancement in strengthening maternal and newborn health services in one of central Uganda’s highest-volume maternity units.
Mukono General Hospital records over 9,000 deliveries annually, yet until recently, the labour suite operated with only three delivery beds. This severe limitation resulted in congestion, reduced privacy, increased infection risks, and in some cases, mothers delivering on the floor due to lack of space.
To address this critical gap, STM mobilized resources and technical support, with construction oversight provided by UCU’s engineering team. The intervention forms part of the Mother Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (MBFHI), STM’s flagship health systems strengthening program implemented across 15 health facilities in Uganda, aimed at promoting safe, respectful, and dignified maternity care through a 10-step quality improvement framework.
The expansion has increased the labour suite capacity from three to five delivery beds, significantly improving patient flow, privacy, infection prevention, and overall quality of care. The facility is now fully equipped with essential maternal health equipment to support safe delivery and immediate newborn care.
At the commissioning ceremony, the STM Board Chairperson emphasized the urgency of such interventions, noting that approximately 260,000 mothers and 2.3 million newborns die globally each year from preventable causes. In Uganda alone, an estimated 16 mothers die daily due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. Strengthening health facilities such as Mukono General Hospital is therefore critical to reversing these trends.
Mukono General Hospital has been part of the MBFHI network since 2011. Over the years, it has benefited from continuous capacity building, quality improvement coaching, and the active engagement of Master of Public Health Leadership (MPHL) alumni, who serve as MBFHI advisors. These alumni have supported multiple improvements at the facility, including earlier infrastructure enhancements such as the antenatal care shelter.
The expansion of the Tyler Jones Labour Suite was made possible through the generous support of Diane Jones, in memory of her son, Tyler Jones, after whom the labour suite is named. Additional support for equipping the facility was provided by the Harrison-Cooper Foundation.
The upgraded facility was officially handed over to Mukono General Hospital and the Ministry of Health, reaffirming STM’s commitment to strengthening health systems and advancing equitable access to quality maternal and newborn care.
This intervention stands as a testament to what is possible when communities, institutions, alumni, and partners work together. It reflects STM’s enduring vision: a future where no mother or baby dies from preventable causes.
By Teopista Agutu – Save the Mothers East Africa Communications and Networking Director
Plot 67-173, Mukono Hill,
Bishop Tucker Road,
P.O. Box 4, Mukono, Uganda
Telephone:+256 312 350 800
Email: EADirector@savethemothers.org
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Save the Mothers promotes maternal health in the developing world through education, public awareness and advocacy. Based in Uganda and North America, Save The Mothers is part of a global movement to improve the health of mothers and babies