New partnership with Vayu Global Health
Empowering Frontline Health Workers with Lifesaving Neonatal Skills
Part 1: Training - Building Skills to Save Newborn Lives
BAMA has launched a new and strategic partnership with Vayu Global Health to strengthen neonatal survival in the Greater Masaka region. As part of this collaboration, BAMA hosted a three-day Vayu Bubble CPAP (bCPAP) Training of Trainers, conducted jointly with Vayu Global Health and Masaka Regional Referral Hospital.
A Bubble CPAP machine delivers a gentle, steady flow of air mixed with oxygen through small tubes placed in a baby’s nose. This pressure keeps the lungs open, making it easier for newborns to breathe — a lifesaving intervention for premature babies and those in respiratory distress.
This first initiative under the new partnership brought together midwives and nurses from Rakai, Kalisizo, and Kakuuto, offering hands-on training in how to use, care for, and maintain the Vayu bCPAP system — a low-cost, electricity-free innovation designed specifically for low-resource settings.
“This Vayu training has not just trained us — it has equipped a new cohort of champions for neonatal care in the Greater Masaka region. Together we are strengthening newborn respiratory care, one breath at a time.” (Vivian Naava, BAMA Continuous Quality Improvement Mentor Midwife)
Led by facilitators Dr. Gerald Ojambo, Kennedy Opondo, and Paula Raeschendorf, the training prioritised practical learning, mentorship, and equipment stewardship. BAMA’s technical team coordinated follow-up and documentation to ensure that the new skills are sustainably adopted across partner facilities.
“Our strategy at BAMA has always been to build sustainable, resilient health systems for Uganda. Introducing the Vayu bCPAP at high-volume facilities is a critical step forward. By eliminating the dependency on electricity and compressed air, we are dismantling two of the most significant barriers to effective neonatal respiratory care. This new partnership empowers frontline health workers and turns a previous point of vulnerability into a demonstrable strength in our fight for every newborn’s right to breathe.” (Dr. Martin Kasendwa, BAMA Foundation)
This training marks the beginning of a meaningful partnership that aligns with BAMA’s mission to reduce neonatal mortality through innovation, partnership, and community-rooted capacity building.
Part 2: From Training to Action — Delivery and Installation
After the successful training, BAMA and Vayu Global Health moved into the second phase of the partnership: delivering and installing the devices at partner health centres.
A total of 15 Vayu Bubble CPAP devices, complete with accessories and oxygen blenders, arrived at BAMA’s central office for distribution.
The first installations took place at:
Kalisizo Hospital
Rakai Hospital
Butenga Health Center IV
At Kalisizo Hospital, BAMA delivered 5 Vayu bCPAP devices, 5 low-flow oxygen blending systems, On-site orientation for NICU, Maternity, and Theatre teams — including the midwives trained during the ToT.
These installations ensure that trained staff can immediately apply their new skills and that newborns in distress receive timely, effective respiratory support. The combination of capacity building and access to appropriate technology is already transforming neonatal care in the Greater Masaka region.
With these systems now in place, BAMA aims to save more babies and significantly improve newborn outcomes across partner facilities.
This partnership continues to grow. Next, BAMA and Vayu will collaborate on bringing AIR devices and PRISMS innovations to Uganda — expanding lifesaving technology for even more vulnerable newborns.
With the launch of this partnership, BAMA and Vayu Global Health are proving that contextual innovation, local capacity, and strong collaboration can radically shift newborn survival outcomes.
