MAMA, Federico II's project in Uganda to help pregnant women

Improving maternal care by focusing on preventing pregnancy complications through the administration of vitamin D. This is the MAMA project - Maternal Aid for Mortality Awareness - which aims to provide scientific evidence for institutions to improve maternal care.

MAMA is part of the great work being carried out by Gulunap, an international project of the University of Naples Federico II, which began in 2004 to restore hope to a region devastated by 25 years of war through the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in Gulu, Northern Uganda.

The MAMA trial focuses, therefore, on the use of vitamin D, chosen for its role in regulating the immune system, placental functioning, and blood pressure control, thereby reducing the risk of pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery, and low birth weight.

The project will be carried out in Uganda, in the Gulu Region of Northern Uganda, where St.Mary's Hospital in Lacor performs about 9000 deliveries a year, provides prenatal care to about 40-50 new pregnant women each week, and is already engaged in prenatal pregnancy protection activities.

One goal is to produce strong scientific evidence of the appropriateness of the Vitamin intervention, which can be expanded throughout the country and to other African settings. Each phase of the project is designed to respect and value local cultures, ensuring that each intervention is as effective as it is respectful. It means directly contributing to the health and well-being of thousands of women, with positive impacts on entire communities.