Amina Muhammad Ali

Ugandan midwife who created East Africa's first rural maternity clinic network in 1930.

Amina Muhammad Ali (1905–1987) was a Ugandan midwife and community organizer who revolutionized maternal healthcare in rural East Africa. Trained in Kampala's Mulago Hospital, she recognized the lack of prenatal care in rural areas and established the Rural Maternal Care Initiative in 1930, setting up mobile clinics that traveled to remote villages. By 1950, her network of 12 clinics reduced maternal mortality rates by 40% in Uganda's Busoga region. Amina also trained over 200 traditional birth attendants, blending modern medicine with local practices. Her 1948 memoir Bridging the Gap: A Midwife's Journey remains a key text in global health studies. Today, the Amina Ali Health Foundation (aminahf.org) continues her work in maternal health advocacy.