Helping to reduce infant mortality in Uganda

How affordable healthcare transforms lives.

In collaboration with the Ugandan government, Philips is working with NGO ‘Imaging The World’ to simplify healthcare technology with the specific aim of reducing infant and maternal mortality in the country.




Dr. Kristen Destigter

Co-founder, Imaging The World

This film shows how the provision of affordable ultrasound machines that can be read remotely by medics hundreds of miles away means even the poorest mothers in rural Uganda have access to the sort of live-saving pre-natal care that can transform communities.
It's a situation that could lead to tragedy, and many mothers and babies still die as a result of complications that would be easily detectable with the right equipment like an ultrasound machine. Philips is addressing this challenge by providing cost effective ultrasound technology, so that scans can be quickly carried out in isolated clinics, digitally transmitted via cellphone and read remotely in a medical center with better resources. The innovation stems from locally relevant insights enabling a solution to address the critical issue of maternal and infant care in Uganda.


birth complications occur daily in rural Uganda. Every year 6,000 women die due to pregnancy complications in Uganda. The entire country contains just 34 radiologists – 70% of whom live in urban areas.


Citation: Philips Imaging the World

Seeing a difference


Dr. Alphonsus Matovu is the General Surgeon and Medical Director at Uganda’s Kamuli Hospital. He also works with Imaging the World as their Programme Director. Roll over to find out why his work is challenging – and how Philips is helping.


True. Uganda has an infant mortality rate of 60.82 per 1,000 live births. Citation: CIA: World Factbook

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