Stakeholders' perceived achievements and challenges after the safe motherhood project in Northern Uganda.

The Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) and the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) implemented the Safe Motherhood project to promote mother-friendly society in northern Uganda from 2010 to 2016. The follow-up study has not been conducted and the information on achievements and challenges after the project were limited. To review the safe motherhood project in northern Uganda, the purpose of the study was to explore the stakeholders' perceived achievements and challenges after the project. Study design was qualitative content analysis using interview guides. After the approval of Institutional Review Board Clearance, the study was started (Approval Number: 2017-034). The subjects were informed about the ethical considerations (informed consent, participation on free will, confidentiality, and anonymity) in participating in the research, and they participated after signing the consent form. Six volunteers, 2 health center staff, and 2 former Uganda Red Cross staff were interviewed. Achievements were the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes changes, behavioural changes, linkage of all stakeholders, and positive influence on Safe Motherhood in community. Challenges of sociocultural barriers, attitudes toward women, accessibility and human resources, incentives and facilities, and sustainability of the project were derived from the interview. The study revealed that the project linked all stakeholders to achieve Safe Motherhood in community and all the developed registration systems were taken over. Long-term support is necessary for Safe Motherhood to take root.

Stakeholders' perceived achievements and challenges after the safe motherhood project in Northern Uganda

The Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) and the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) implemented the Safe Motherhood project topromote mother-friendly society in northern Uganda from 2010 to 2016. The follow-up study has not been conducted and the information on achievements and challenges after the project were limited. To review the safe motherhood project in northern Uganda, the purpose of the study was to explore the stakeholders' perceived achievements and challenges after the project. Study design was qualitative content analysis using interview guides. After the approval of Institutional Review Board Clearance, the study was started (Approval Number: 2017-034). The subjects were informed about the ethical considerations (informed consent, participation on free will, confidentiality, and anonymity) in participating in the research, and they participated after signing the consent form. Six volunteers, 2 health center staff, and 2 former Uganda Red Cross staff were interviewed. Achievements were the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes changes, behavioural changes, linkage of all stakeholders, and positive influence on Safe Motherhood in community. Challenges of sociocultural barriers, attitudes toward women, accessibility and human resources, incentives and facilities, and sustainability of the project were derived from the interview. The study revealed that the project linked all stakeholders to achieve Safe Motherhood in community and all the developed registration systems were taken over. Long-term support is necessary for Safe Motherhood to take root

[Evaluation of the efficacy of a medicine bag printed with a photograph of the medicine for the prevention of drug-dispensing errors].

In this study, a survey was conducted to determine the rate of drug-dispensing errors with the use of medicine bags printed with photographs of prescribed medicines (hereafter "medicine bag") for a 6-week period from June 20 to July 31, 2005. During this period, 393928 prescriptions were filled in 127 medical facilities that use the medicine bag. The efficacy of the medicine bag in the prevention of drug-dispensing errors was investigated. A total of 6550 (1.66%) drug-dispensing errors were identified: 70.6% were identified at the inspecting stage; 27.4% at the providing medicine and information stage; and 2% after the medication was dispensed. The drug-dispensing errors identified in the inspecting and providing stages included a) using the wrong contents, b) dispensing the wrong drugs, c) missing drugs, d) calculation errors, e) weighing/measuring errors, and f) others. No significant difference was observed in the error rates; thus it was assumed that the type of error was not dependent on the stage at which dispensing errors was discovered. However, it was found that approximately 25% of errors at the providing stage were discovered as a result of the medicine bag. Errors of types a), b), and c) were often discovered because the photograph was printed on the medicine bag. Therefore it was assumed that the photographs contributed to the discovery of drug-dispensing errors.