Enhancing capacity to manage pediatric emergencies at Arua Regional Referral Hospital
This project has ended in April 2026.
Pediatric emergency care is a fundamental component of health systems in low- and middle-income countries, where children experience a disproportionately high burden of acute illness, injury, and preventable mortality. Conditions such as severe infections, respiratory conditions, diarrhea, and neonatal complications account for a substantial proportion of childhood deaths, majority of which could be prevented through timely recognition, resuscitation, and definitive treatment. Despite global progress in reducing under-five mortality, many regions continue to face significant challenges in delivering high-quality emergency care due to shortages of trained healthcare workers, inadequate infrastructure and equipment, weak referral systems, and limited prehospital emergency services.
Malteser International is dedicated to improving emergency care systems in Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, while promoting equitable access to quality emergency healthcare for all populations. Since 2018, we have worked with respective Ministries of Health, training institutions, hospitals and professional organizations to shape emergency care policy, implementation and practice.
As part of this commitment, Malteser International is supporting Arua Regional Referral Hospital to strengthen its capacity to manage pediatric emergencies.
Arua Regional Referral Hospital (RRH) serves over 2.3 million people in Uganda’s remote West Nile region, including approximately 483,000 refugees. The region faces a high burden of communicable diseases, maternal emergencies, road traffic injuries, and complications from non-communicable diseases. While a formal referral system exists from lower-level health facilities through hospitals to the RRH, it remains inefficient. Many cases that could be effectively managed at lower-level facilities are unnecessarily referred to the RRH, placing additional strain on already limited resources. At the same time, critically ill patients are often not promptly recognized at lower-level facilities, resulting in delays in appropriate referrals and inadequate stabilization before transfer. Consequently, patients frequently arrive at the RRH in poor clinical condition, further complicating their management and outcomes.
Arua RRH records an average of 3,000 pediatric admissions annually, reflecting the substantial demand for specialized child health services within the region. While the hospital has made important strides in providing pediatric care, significant capacity gaps remain across the continuum of emergency and critical care services for children, from initial assessment and stabilization in the Acute Care Unit and Accident & Emergency Department to ongoing management in the High Dependency and Intensive Care Units. Strengthening these services, alongside investments in specialized equipment, workforce development, and referral systems, will enhance the hospital’s ability to deliver timely, high-quality care to critically ill children and improve health outcomes across the region.
Our goal is …
To strengthen Arua Regional Referral Hospital’s capacity to manage pediatric emergencies through capacity building, equipment, and infrastructural support.
To improve referral management for pediatric patients within the West Nile region.
Trained 83 healthcare workers from two RRHs, three general hospitals, seven health centre IVs in West Nile region. These included six pediatricians, three general surgeons, 32 medical officers, five medical clinical officers, 35 nurses, nine anesthetic officers, and university tutors. The trainings included:
The WHO Basic Emergency Care course
The WHO Emergency Triage, Assessment and Treatment (ETAT+) course
ETAT instructor course
Pediatric Emergency Surgical Care course
European Pediatric Advanced Life Support (EPALS) course
Established fully equipped pediatric resuscitation corners at the pediatric Acute Care Unit and the Accident & Emergency Department.
Complemented the Acute Care Unit, Accident & Emergency Department, High Dependency Unit, Neonatal, and General Intensive Care Units with pediatric emergency care equipment.
Renovated the Pediatric Department.
Project data
Donor: Alfred Neven DuMont Foundation
Partners: Arua Regional Referral Hospital
