Only 23.4% of students in universities across Uganda and Kenya know about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the deadline for their achievement, a report released on 24 January by Save the Mothers and the UCU Devolvement Studies department, has revealed.

The report, carried out among 1,920 students from 23 public and private universities in Uganda and 24 in Kenya, indicates that only 45.7% of them were aware of MDG 5 (maternal health).
“The study revealed that the contribution of universities towards knowledge, positive attitudes, research and community is minimised to the medical disciplines,” Dr Jean Chamberlain Froese, executive director of Save the Mothers, told  the conference at the Principal’s Hall during the launch of the report last Wednesday.
Chamberlain emphasised that “there is no specific focus on maternal health in the training of non-medical students.”
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organisations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. They include eradicating extreme poverty, reducing child mortality rates, fighting epidemics such as AIDS, and developing a global partnership for development. MDG 5 is about improving maternal health.
Despite some progress made worldwide, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia account for 87% of global maternal deaths.
According to the report, “there is limited community outreach except for programmes where community outreach is a key component of the course,” and the main sources for knowledge are the radio, the TV and the newspapers.
Among the key policy recommendations made is integrating MDGs in university programmes.
“Universities can play a major role in promoting the Millennium Development Goal 5, which is maternal health, through generating knowledge and taking research,” Dr Mary Ssonko, a member of the team which conducted the research, told the conference.
She urged that national governing bodies should embrace MDGs, and that university communities should collaborate on particularly attaining MDG 5.
The research team included UCU’s  Dr Jean Chamberlain, Dr Mary Ssonko, Dr. Fred Kakembo, and Dr Eve Nakabembe, and from Kenyatta University, Dr. Bonaventure Michael Okello, and from Kyambogo University, Mrs Faith Muyonga.
At the launch were: the VC, Dr John Senyonyi, DVCs Dr Alex Kagume, Dr Florence Sajjabi and Mr Doug Fountain.

The 8 MDGs:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality rates
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development