Esther Mbabazi

Ugandan public health pioneer who revolutionized maternal care in rural Africa

Esther Mbabazi (b. 1972) transformed healthcare access in East Africa through her 1998 creation of the MamaCare mobile health network. Her system used bicycle ambulances and SMS-based health tracking to connect 800 remote villages in Uganda with urban hospitals. The initiative reduced maternal mortality rates by 62% in its first decade, earning her a 2005 World Health Organization award. Mbabazi's 2008 book 《Last Mile Healthcare》 became a blueprint for rural health systems globally. Her work inspired the African Union's 2010 Community Health Worker initiative, now training 200,000+ workers annually. The PBS documentary 'Bridging the Gap' (2012) highlighted her innovations, which now form the basis of UNICEF's digital health programs in 14 countries.