Advocacy & Policy
Driving national policy change through evidence, parent voices, and strategic engagement
1. Evidence to Policy
PIPNU drives national policy change by turning parent lived experience and real time community data into practical solutions for preterm care in Uganda. Its advocacy is parent led evidence based and aligned with how the Ugandan health system actually works.
PIPNU bridges families and policymakers through data analysis policy briefs direct engagement with Ministry of Health technical teams and integration of parent voices.
Evidence from 7,000+ preterm infants supports key policy asks including national preterm indicators in DHIS2 dedicated funding for community follow up formal recognition of the Village Kangaroo Ambassador model and national standards for post discharge preterm care.
Their work proves community based follow up is cost effective scalable and critical to reducing preventable preterm deaths.
2. Male Involvement Advocacy
Fathers are often excluded from newborn and NICU care due to restrictive facility practices cultural norms and lack of targeted programming despite clear evidence that paternal involvement improves outcomes.
Our Focus
- Father Friendly Health Facilities: Flexible NICU access staff training and inclusion of fathers in kangaroo mother care
- Workplace Policy Engagement: Advocacy for paternity leave and flexible work arrangements for fathers of preterm infants
- Community Norm Change: Male champion networks community dialogues and media engagement
Documented Results
- 70 percent increase in daily paternal involvement in supported facilities
- Successful pilot of father led kangaroo care training sessions
3. Human Milk Banking Advocacy
Preterm infants have higher nutritional and immunity needs. When a mother's own milk is unavailable donor human milk is the safest alternative. Uganda currently lacks a national milk banking framework.
Our Advocacy Priorities
- Development of national human milk banking guidelines and standards
- Capacity building for regional referral hospitals
- Public and professional education to address myths and improve acceptance
Current Action
- Partnership with ATTA Breastmilk Community to support donor milk access
- Ongoing advocacy for Ministry of Health leadership in national milk banking systems
- Community education on safety and life saving benefits of donor milk
Long Term Vision
A regulated culturally accepted national human milk banking network serving preterm infants across Uganda.
4. Parents in Research
Our Position: Nothing About Us Without Us
Parents of preterm infants must be active partners in research not passive subjects.
Our Principles
- Inclusion of parents in research design and priority setting
- Clear accessible informed consent processes
- Fair compensation and ethical feedback of findings
- Capacity building for parent led research initiatives
Our Call
We call on researchers institutions and funders to adopt ethical participatory research models that respect parent expertise and lived experience.
5. Extended Maternal Leave Advocacy
The Reality
Uganda's current 60 day maternity leave does not reflect the realities of preterm birth which often involves prolonged hospitalization intensive feeding demands and increased maternal health risks.
Our Policy Ask
Extend paid maternity leave for mothers of preterm infants from 60 to 90 days with:
- Inclusion of NICU stay in leave calculations
- Job protection and flexible return to work
- Medical certification for preterm births
Evidence Base
- Improved infant survival and feeding outcomes
- Reduced hospital readmissions
- Long term economic savings for families and health systems
- Alignment with global best practice
Status
- Evidence collection and parent testimony documentation underway
- Policy brief in development
- Coalition building with labor and women's rights organizations
6. National & Regional Engagements
PIPNU's National and Global Engagement
- National: Collaborates with Ministry of Health divisions, parliamentary health and gender committees, Kampala public health, regional hospitals, district offices, Village Health Teams, and local governments.
- Professional Bodies: Engages Uganda Paediatric Association, African Neonatal Association, Nurses & Midwives Council, and Uganda Medical Association.
- Global: Aligns with WHO and UNICEF newborn priorities, partners with the Global Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants, and leads World Prematurity Day in Uganda.
Engagement Methods
Policy dialogues, technical working groups, evidence presentations, parent testimonies, site demonstrations, and media campaigns.
Focus
Advocacy is practical, evidence-based, and community-centered aimed at creating systems that genuinely work for families.