Overall performance remained on track in our Uganda learning site in Q3. After significant efforts, we had the best tech stability in several years after significant efforts, including continuous timely follow-up of non-reporting community health workers (CHWs) and resolution of emerging tech issues.

This means that CHWs can reliably use their app, and data can effectively be used to improve service delivery and decision-making. However, some challenges in September affected this quarter’s results. These included a server refresh issue that limited data visibility for two weeks, CHW participation in a national bed net distribution campaign, and a transition out of Mukono district.

In September, Living Goods started transitioning to the government the management of 500 CHWs in Mukono district, with about 250 transitioned in Q3. With the support of UNICEF, the government deployed the Open SRP platform in Mukono—a move Living Goods welcomed as this aligns with our planned strategy to go deeper into some of the other districts where we work.

We are working to ensure that every woman who wants to access modern family planning has it. In September, we initiated an accelerated impact optimization plan focused on improving the efficiency of visits, coverage, uptake, and commodity access. Nearly half (42%) of the family planning referrals CHWs make are not completed—largely because when women go to health facilities, they find their preferred methods out of stock.

We are working to improve referral mechanisms and signed an MOU with a new partner, Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), to enhance family planning referrals. We are also collaborating with Pathfinder to quantify, project, and order family planning commodities, including community-level commodities. In the same quarter, we rolled out revamped family planning workflows, trained CHWs in interpersonal communication approaches, and prioritized visits to all women of reproductive age to identify new users.