Born at 26 Weeks: Story of Survival from the Bwindi Hospital NICU
On Monday, November 17, 2025, Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH) joined the rest of the world to celebrate World Prematurity Day. On this day, we celebrated the lives of babies who have passed through our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
One of those babies is Kirabo Abigail, born at just 26 weeks. Her mother, Kyomugisha Grace from Bugongo, Kihihi Town Council, thought she had almost lost her child. “When I came to the hospital, I thought I was having a miscarriage,” she recalls. “But the health workers at Bwindi Hospital helped me. They saved us. I am very happy.” In September 2025, Grace left BCH with her daughter in her arms; both alive, both thriving. Abigail’s survival is a miracle made possible by the hospital’s NICU.
Globally, prematurity is the leading cause of death in children under five. In Uganda, rural areas like Bwindi face particularly high neonatal mortality rates from preventable causes such as birth asphyxia, infections, and complications of prematurity
BCH is the only NICU serving 300,000 people in Kanungu District. On average, 300 neonates are admitted annually, with the majority referred from lower health facilities. In the financial year 2024/25, BCH admitted 282 neonates, up from 240 the previous year (2023/24). Of these, 35.4% were preterm births. The BCH neonatal survival rate increased from 91% in 2023/2024 to 92.3% in 24/25.
Despite this rising demand, BCH’s NICU has only 18 beds. Critically ill newborns are managed in a small, crowded space, increasing the risk of poor outcomes. Some babies are discharged early due to space constraints, jeopardizing their recovery. Limited space also makes it difficult to implement effective infection prevention measures.
For families in Kanungu, BCH is the most affordable and accessible option. Traveling to urban centers for specialized care is often impossible due to distance and cost. Without an expanded NICU, many fragile lives remain at risk.
At BCH, World Prematurity Day reminded us of the urgent need to save more lives like Abigail’s, support Uganda’s national and global goals to reduce maternal and newborn mortality, improve health equity by ensuring rural families access specialized care, strengthen the continuum of care for mothers and babies, and encourage better health-seeking behavior such as facility-based deliveries.
As we continue to save lives, we invite you to stand with Bwindi Community Hospital. Your support can help us increase our bed capacity to a minimum of 40 beds, including a dedicated Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) unit and an isolation area. The KMC will promote bonding, enhance breastfeeding, reduces stress, and significantly improve neonatal outcomes.
By Elizabeth Namara
