About Us
Learn more about PIPNU, our mission, vision, values, history, structure, and team
Who We Are
Preterm Infants Parents Network Uganda (PIPNU) is a registered Ugandan nonprofit founded in March 2022. The organization was established by parents who personally experienced the profound isolation of the prematurity journey. We are a national network built on lived experience, uniting parents, grandparents, healthcare professionals, and adults born preterm.
Our urgent mission is to close the critical gap in care that exists between hospital discharge and a preterm infant's survival at home.
We understand that the most perilous part of the journey often begins when families leave the hospital. Our support begins with a high-risk pregnancy and extends through the NICU and the long term at home, ensuring continuous care.
Our network's strength is its composition:
- Parents & Grandparents who provide peer support and practical wisdom.
- Healthcare Professionals who deliver evidence-based, family-centered training and care.
- Adults Born Preterm who share powerful stories of resilience.
- Community Advocates who help build essential support systems.
Together, we provide the comprehensive support, education, and advocacy necessary to ensure every preterm infant in Uganda has the best chance for a healthy life.
Our model is proven. From a small peer group, PIPNU now supports over 700 families annually through partnerships with more than 15 hospitals across Uganda.
Mission, Vision & Values
Our Mission
To empower parents of preemies through awareness, education and structured peer support, bridging the gap between clinical care and home based nurturing to ensure every preterm baby thrives.
Our Vision
A Uganda where no parent walks the path of prematurity alone and every preterm infant has the foundation to thrive.
Our Core Values
- Lived Experience Led: Those who have walked the path guide our work.
- Community Embedded: Solutions are co-created with and delivered by trusted community members.
- Compassion in Action: We meet families where they are, without judgment.
- Evidence-Based Innovation: We blend proven medical practice with smart technology.
- Unwavering Partnership: We collaborate with health systems, donors, and families as equals.
Our History
The Beginning – Founded on Direct Experience (2022)
Mr. Kateregga Bazilio and his wife were blessed with twins. At five months, she had a fall that injured one of the babies, resulting in a hematoma. Tragically, that baby passed away. The surviving twin required urgent surgery, but they had to wait until the baby was six months old to proceed. Weighing just 800 grams, the baby's fragile condition made this an incredibly stressful time.
As a first-time father of a preterm infant, Mr. Kateregga recalls, "The baby was as small as a rat, its heart racing, and so fragile. I just broke down and cried." With little guidance available on preterm care, he recognized the urgent need for parent support. This inspired him to establish the Preterm Infant Parents Network Uganda (PIPNU) to support families facing similar challenges.
What began as a small WhatsApp group in March 2022 including doctors, nurses, and experienced preterm parents became a fully registered network by November 2022. From the outset, PIPNU was guided by a single principle: parent-led support is critical to infant survival.
- Hospital Support: Post-neonatal discharge training covering kangaroo care, breastfeeding, hygiene, infection prevention, ROP and sickle cell screening, and other essential checks. Emotional counseling, connection to village Kangaroo Ambassadors, WhatsApp group support, and enrollment in the national preterm database ensure continuous care.
- Referral System: The Family-Led Care model strengthens existing community structures. Village Kangaroo Ambassadors (FLWs) empower families to monitor newborns at home, recognize danger signs, and access timely follow-up care. Reminder messages further enhance clinic attendance.
- Home/Community Follow-Up: Village Kangaroo Ambassadors and VHTs guide parents in home-based preemie care. Using the CommCare Connect app by Dimagi, they track feeding, temperature, breathing, weight, immunizations, ROP, and sickle cell screenings. Male involvement is actively promoted.
Our model's effectiveness was formally recognized in 2023 by the Uganda Ministry of Health. A landmark partnership with Makerere University provided empirical evidence demonstrating that our comprehensive, parent-informed support significantly improves health outcomes.
Guided by frontline experience, our advocacy now informs national policy on neonatal health systems. From its beginnings as a peer support group, PIPNU has evolved into a sustainable organization dedicated to closing the care gap between hospital and home, establishing "walls of hope" across multiple hospitals.
Our Structure & Governance
PIPNU operates under a robust governance framework ensuring accountability, transparency and clinical integrity.
Meet Our Leadership
Kateregga Bazilio
Executive Director
"Our work is born from a simple, painful truth: in Uganda, a preterm baby's fight for life often begins when they leave the hospital. We built PIPNU to ensure that the moment a family walks out the hospital gate, they are walking into a community of support, not into a void. We are not just saving babies; we are restoring the rightful role of parents as the primary healers in their children's lives."
Birungi Bridget
Admin / Finance
Managing our day-to-day operations, finances, and organizational development.
Dr. Jackie Akello
Program/Project Director
Leading our field operations and program development with expertise in maternal and child health programs.
Nagginda Saphina
Head of Communication
Managing our communications, media engagement, and public awareness campaigns.
Julian B
Volunteer Community Lead
Coordinating our volunteer network and community engagement initiatives.
Dr. Anita Tumwebaze Muhumuza
Health Lead
Leading our clinical programs and healthcare partnerships.