Figure 1
Map of Uganda; red pins indicate the training locations. The right lower corner insert shows the location of Uganda on the African continent (permission is granted from Google Maps and mapchart.net for scholarly purposes).
Figure 2
(A) Low‑cost training silos; (B) low‑cost gastroschisis simulation model and training silo (left: standard of care, right: low‑cost silo); (C) low‑cost gastroschisis simulation model with training silo applied; (D) photos from the training course depicting participants during didactics, hands‑on practical with the gastroschisis simulation model and low‑cost silo, and participants receiving certificates and educational materials (photos used with participant permission).
Figure 3
Educational posters for (A) healthcare providers and (B) parents and the community.
Table 1
Participant demographics, practice experience, and language preference.
| MIDWIFE N = 44 (51%) | NURSE N = 25 (29%) | RESIDENT N = 17 (20%) | TOTAL N = 86 | P‑VALUE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | <0.001 | ||||
| Female | 44 (100%) | 17 (68%) | 3 (18%) | 64 (74%) | |
| Male | 0 (0%) | 8 (32%) | 14 (82%) | 22 (26%) | |
| Age (years), median [IQR] | 32 [28–36] | 32 [29–37] | 32 [30–36] | 32 [29–36] | 0.391 |
| Level of education | <0.001 | ||||
| Certificate‑ Midwifery | 11 (25%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 11 (13%) | |
| Certificate‑ Nursing | 0 (0%) | 7 (28%) | 0 (0%) | 7 (8%) | |
| Diploma‑ Midwifery | 31 (70%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 31 (36%) | |
| Diploma‑ Nursing | 0 (0%) | 15 (60%) | 0 (0%) | 15 (17%) | |
| Bachelor’s Degree‑ Nursing/Midwifery | 2 (5%) | 3 (12%) | 0 (0%) | 5 (6%) | |
| Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery (MBChB) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 17 (100%) | 17 (20%) | |
| Practice experience, median [IQR] | |||||
| Number of years worked in healthcare | 10 [7–13] | 9 [7–12] | 5 [4–10] | 9 [6–13] | 0.239 |
| Number of years delivering babies | 8 [6–12] | 5 [1–10] | 4 [2–9] | 7.5 [4–10] | 0.17 |
| Number of babies delivered per month | 20 [14–30] | 10 [0–20] | 10 [2–30 | 15.5 [6–30] | 0.301 |
| Number of gastroschisis babies cared for | 3 [1–4] | 1 [0–4] | 2 [0–4] | 2 [1–4] | 0.059 |
| Preferred language of instruction | |||||
| English | 41 (93%) | 22 (88%) | 16 (94%) | 79 (92%) | 0.735 |
| Luganda | 1 (2%) | 2 (8%) | 1 (6%) | 4 (5%) | |
| Other* | 2 (5%) | 1 (4%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (3%) |
[i] *Rukiga, Runyaankole, Kiswahili, Rutooro. Some study participants spoke multiple languages.
Figure 4
Pre‑ and post‑course test scores for question categories and overall performance. Test scores are shown for both skilled birth attendants and resident physicians. Error bars represent standard error. All pre‑ and post‑course comparisons demonstrated statistically significant improvement except for resident physician knowledge of prenatal diagnosis (delineated by N.S.).
Figure 5
(A) Participant post‑training feedback. (B) Participant comfort teaching other healthcare providers, students, and the community.