Improving access to, quality and continuity of maternal and child health, neonatal and oncology care: this is the main goal of PRISMA, a new project coordinated by the University of Milan–Bicocca through the BReCHS research centre and implemented with funding from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), for a total of €12.75 million.
PRISMA – Prevention, Research and Integrated Services for Maternal, Child and Cancer Health Care will begin in July 2026 and will coordinate an integrated intervention in four sub-regions of Northern Uganda, aiming to reach more than 500,000 people.
The initiative also calls for the expansion of clinical services, the training of healthcare personnel, and the introduction of innovative technologies designed to strengthen local health governance as well as research and monitoring activities.
The Health Challenge in Northern Uganda
PRISMA will focus on four sub-regions in the north of the country, where socioeconomic and health vulnerabilities, shortages of specialist services and limited access to care particularly affect women of reproductive age and pregnant women, newborns, and children under five.
These challenges are compounded by the need to ensure early diagnosis and treatment for the cancers most common among women (cervical and breast cancer) and for certain paediatric forms (such as Burkitt lymphoma), in order to strengthen the new regional branch of the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) in Gulu.
How PRISMA Works: Integrated Health Services
PRISMA’s activities will be organised around four main pillars:
- Sexual, reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health (SRMNCH): strengthening the clinical and organisational capacities of health facilities; preventing early pregnancies; providing care for survivors of gender-based violence; promoting reproductive health practices; and supporting mothers during breastfeeding.
- Women’s and paediatric oncology: expanding community access to screening programmes to enable early diagnosis and treatment of the most common cancers among women (cervical and breast cancer) and children (Burkitt lymphoma), in coordination with the Uganda Cancer Institute in Gulu.
- Training and research: on-the-job training, operational research and academic exchange between Italy and Uganda through courses, master’s programmes, two-way mobility of lecturers and students, and the development of a digital e-learning platform.
- Governance, monitoring and evaluation: promoting and using monitoring systems with indicators approved by Uganda’s Ministry of Health; using data, knowledge surveys and impact analyses to ensure the inclusion of vulnerable populations.
Through all its activities, the initiative will contribute concretely to reducing mortality in Uganda’s most vulnerable areas and, at the same time, promoting women’s empowerment and the sustainability of the health system. Strengthening facilities, skills and governance will also make it possible to identify clinical needs earlier and expand access to essential services for women, newborns and children.
An Innovative Partnership Bringing Together Public and Private Actors, Institutions and Civil Society, Italian and African Organisations
PRISMA brings together health institutions, universities and civil society organisations to improve access to care and the quality of services. Together with partners and local communities, the project will help create the conditions for services to be sustainable and to be extended and replicated.
PRISMA is implemented by a consortium of seven partners: Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Collegio Universitario Aspiranti Medici Missionari – Medici con l’Africa CUAMM, Fondazione AVSI, Fondazione Dr. Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital, Fondazione Piero e Lucille Corti, Gulu University, Uganda Cancer Institute.
The project builds on ongoing experience such as BRIDGE – Uganda and the Bicocca Global Health Center, and integrates clinical practice, health policies and innovation.
“It is a step forward not only in terms of content, but also in method: a joint effort between public and private actors, institutions and the third sector, Italian and African organisations.
Giorgio Vittadini, Director of the BReCHS Centre, University of Milan–Bicocca
With PRISMA we are addressing crucial priorities—maternal, child and neonatal health and oncology—by focusing on strong alliances and measurable results for communities.
Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of AICS
More Accessible, Higher-Quality Care: AVSI’s Role
As an implementing partner, Fondazione AVSI will contribute its experience in strengthening community-based services, training health personnel, engaging communities, and supporting health information systems as well as monitoring and evaluation processes.