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Strategic Family Planning and Education Investment can ease SRHR Challenges
Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) is pushing for more investment in family planning and education to reduce sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) challenges in Uganda.
While delivering the 2021 Alliance Week Address in the Kasese district, Jackson Chekweko, RHU Executive Director, said that Uganda has 77% young people, with at least 40% girls, but 25% of the girls aged 14 to 19 get pregnant.
Chekweko says that young people in Uganda should be protected from contracting sexually transmitted infections (STI’s), pregnancies, or impregnating others with the help of free family planning access and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) services.
This can be achieved partly by increasing the family planning commodities budget allocated to the National Medical Stores (NMS). The 2021/2022 budget for NMS saw an increase of UGX 600.31 from UGX 420.31 billion in 2020/2021. However, only 20 billion shillings are allocated for purchasing family planning commodities. This accounts for a mere 3.332% of the total budget.
The Ministry of Health cost implementation plan two (CIP2) for 20/21/ to 24/25, pits the total demand for family planning commodities at 67%, but only 37% of women in Uganda access family planning products.
Charles Owekmeno, the National Coordinator of SRHR Alliance, believes that as the push for an increase in the family planning commodities budget allocation ensues, youths, especially girls, should be kept in school.
The most strategic investment in Uganda is to keep children in school to avoid the SRHR challenges in Uganda today.” “These include teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, gender-based violence, and school dropouts, Owekmeno said.
The 2021 Alliance Week happened during the 16 Days of Activism for SRHR and family planning campaigns in Uganda. It was organized in the Kasese district by the RHU—Right Here, Right Now-2 (RHRH–2) project with its seven coalition members: Hope Mbale, CEHURD, Reach a Hand Uganda (RAHU), SMUG, SRHR Alliance, RHU, and UNYPA. The other Alliance Week 2021 consortium members under the SRHR Alliance in the Kasese district include Restless Development, NAFOPHANU, FLEP, and Straight Talk Uganda. The RHU
The RHRN-2 project, which targets young people aged 10 to 24, is funded by Rutgers International and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
RHU launches Facebook – Inbox based Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) during the Inter university dialogue (IUD) held yesterday at the International University of East Africa (IUEA) finally launched the long-awaited Artificial Intelligence (Ai) – Ask RHU.
Ask RHU is for now a Facebook messenger-based chat bot that provides instant responses to questions on Sexual reproductive health rights information and services (SRHRS), with ambitions of moving on to other platforms as What’s app, SMS and so on.
The timely innovation was solely developed by young people to address information gaps in the areas of SRHR. All steps of the development, from the naming, to topics, to the flow and outlook were all a collective of ideas by the young people.
Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world with 78% being under 30years of Age. The country has also been hit by shocking numbers of teenage pregnancies especially during the lockdown, brought about by the pandemic. Experts warned that these were majorly because of lack of access to Sexual reproductive health information and services.
The internet is a useful source of SRHR information. In a study of internet use and coping, Reeves 2001 (How individuals coping with HIV/AIDS use the Internet) suggested that people living with HIV/AIDS who use the internet for health information seem better informed about HIV/AIDS and report more use of active coping strategies, including information seeking, and greater social support. In bid to increase the information dissemination of SRHR to the youth, RHU created the Ask RHU platform.
Social media has become an integral part of how people communicate, stay in touch, keep on top of new developments, and connect with the world around them. The youth make up the majority of the population in Uganda right now, and they are more interested in using social media. Therefore, one of the fastest ways to reach the youth and young people in Uganda is through social media.
According to the internet world statistics, Uganda has 3,328,000 Facebook subscribers out of 23 million who are on the internet as of December 2020. Ask RHU is specifically on Facebook messenger because many youths in Uganda access Facebook regularly. According to the social media statistics for the month of March 2021, Facebook is the most used platform in Uganda accounting for 59.58% usage.
The Ask RHU chatbot also provides confidentiality to the user. Many young people shy away from accessing various information on SRHR in fear of public perception. The information shared by this chatbot can be retained by the user and so one can always refer and also share it. This platform similarly generates data to RHU basing on the most asked questions, the information searched and so identifies the gaps in SRHR programming which can be used to tailor and inform future programmes. The chatbot can be accessed from any part of the world as long as the user can access the internet.
Information and communication technology (ICT) represent an important new resource for enhancing the reach and effectiveness of SRHR programming.
Ask RHU is an AI or artificial intelligence that works through Facebook messenger to provide, accurate, instant information on SRHR and live locations for youth friendly spaces this innovation is here to feed into the gap that has been magnified by the COVID 19 pandemic, the lack of important information especially on SRHR and safe sex.
So ladies and gentlemen, this is ASK RHU, We hope it can revolutionaries and simplify access to information.
We are ambitious, and we continue to evolve and grow, the bot will continue to improve the more we use it. So please check it out, test it and see if it works, let us know if you have ideas to make it better.
Our next step after a successful run, is to launch on what’s app, and then SMS consequently. This has been made possible with support from @SafeHands_
Please do tell a friend to tell a friend.
IPPF Africa Regional Director Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry arrives in Uganda
Kampala, November 2021.
On Wednesday, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Africa Regional Director Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry arrived in Uganda for a three-day official visit.
Petrus-Barry arrived in Kampala and headed to the Sheraton Hotel in Uganda with Ms. Mary Anne Waweru, Communications Officer, IPPF-Africa Regional Office, for a meeting with Jackson Chekweko, Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) Executive Director (ED), and Dr. Charles Olaro, Ministry of Health Director of Clinical Services.
While in the country, Petrus – Barry is also expected to meet the RHU senior management team, young people, tour RHU Katego clinic and thereafter on her second-day head to RHU Bwaise clinic to visit and see the Moon Light Stars in the company of Jackson Chekweko RHU ED and Dr. Peter Ibembe RHU Director of Programs.
Petrus – Barry will also meet the RHU finance team, board Chairperson Nathan T. Kipande and treasurer, Dr. Jotham Musinguzi, the Director-General for the National Population Council (NPC), and the country representative for United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
There is also a tentative plan for Petrus – Barry, to attend the Men’s day in Hoima district on 26th November 2021.
Jackson Chekweko RHU ED and Marie Evelyne Petrus Barry IPP Africa Region Director
Uganda Launches the FP2030 commitments
On the 3rd November, Uganda launched the FP2030 commitments. The objective of the launch was to create awareness, understanding and momentum leading to the global launch that is due November 18th 2021. Uganda has made several commitments towards the FP 2030 to address the gaps in ensuring access to family planning commodities.
Reproductive health Uganda alongside other civil society organizations will partner with the Ministry of Health to see the commitments to fruition.
Speaking at the launch, the minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng underlined that Government is keen on implementing its commitments on family planning. She said the focus should now change to the boy child.
Speaking at the launch of the Uganda Family Planning 2030 Commitments in Kampala on Wednesday, Aceng said boys ‘need to know the dangers of making a teenage girl pregnant’. ‘The focus has been on the recipient of the pregnancy and not the giver.’
Over the past nine years, governments, civil society, multilateral organizations, donors, the private sector and the research community, have come together around an ambitious goal: to enable 120 million additional women and girls to use modern contraception by 2020. Working together in partnership, much has been achieved, but more remains to be done.
The global family planning community agreed that the gains of the last nine years should be sustained by extending this pivotal partnership. Through a global consultation, stakeholders from around the world provided their input on the future of family planning. Together, the community created a shared vision for 2030 that builds on progress achieved to date, adapts the partnership in response to the lessons of the first nine years and positions us to achieve the future women and girls around the world are asking for.
The collective feedback has formed the basis of a vision, guiding principles, and focus areas. With this foundation, and informed by the family planning community consultation, the new partnership will be built over the course of 2021.
The Uganda Family Planning 2030 Commitments include the following:
– to increase equitable access and voluntary use of modern contraceptive methods for all women and couples
– to increase funding for adolescent sexual and reproductive health programmes
– to ensure contraceptive commodity security
– to strengthen the policy and enabling environment for family planning
– to strengthen the policy and enabling environment for family planning
– to strengthen family planning data use at all levels
– to address family planning myths and misconceptions through evidence-based sexual and behavioral change communication and advocacy
Guiding Principles of the commitments
- Voluntary, person-centered, rights-based approaches, with equity at the core: This guiding principle reflects the fundamental belief that individuals should be able to freely make choices that reflect their desires and needs. Every decision, action, and investment made by the partnership will reflect this belief – that each person has the same right to quality family planning, regardless of their geography, socioeconomic status, gender, or culture.
- Empowering women and girls and engaging men, boys, and communities: Positive male inclusion is needed to truly transform normalization of family planning and at the same time share the burden of the decisions and implications of family planning. This must happen in tandem with empowerment of women and girls to create true equity.
- Building intentional and equitable partnerships with adolescents, youth, and marginalized populations to meet their needs, including for accurate and disaggregated data collection and use: These populations have been consistently underserved, so the partnership commits to prioritizing them in all future work.
- Country-led global partnerships, with shared learning and mutual accountability for commitments and results: Country commitments drive progress with support from regional and global stakeholders for implementation, coordination, and accountability.
Family planning is more than just contraceptives – Archbishop Mugalu
The Archbishop of Church of Uganda, The Most Rev Dr Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu has today (9th November 2021) hosted a team from Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) and Partners in Population and Development Africa Regional Office (PPDARO) at his pastoral home in Namirembe – Kampala
The team presented a fact sheet about integrating population dynamics in reproductive health and about engaging church leaders about issues on Family planning, contraceptives and teenage pregnancies.
The Archbishop applauded RHU and partners for the work being done, especially engaging and training Church of Uganda Staff in Family Planning. He encouraged the partners to package the [SRHR] information in an appropriate manner basing on the teachings of the Bible.
The archbishop also hinted on the fact that family planning is often misunderstood and only limited to contraceptives.
“Some people often narrow family planning to the use of contraceptives & reproductive health but it goes way beyond that.
It looks at what you are feeding your family, how prepared you are to look after it, your sources of income, sustainability, etc. There is need for a holistic view of family planning.” The Archbishop said.
Archbishop Kaziimba is well known as a Male Gender Champion and an advocate of Family Planning. In his Charge on his day of enthronement as the 9th Archbishop of Church of Uganda on 1st March 2020, he said;
“I am also known as a champion for family planning and believe there is a place for birth control in Marriage God’s Way. I want to be clear, however, that I completely disagree with and cannot support abortion as a method of birth control. Let us promote life rather than destroying life. I want to encourage people to produce the number of children they can manage.”
And about the teenage pregnancies, the archbishop blamed parents for not playing their role.
” It is considered failed parenting on our part for our daughters to become pregnant while still teenagers” – Says Mugalu. ” The education of a pregnant girl child quickly comes to a painful end, rendering the future prospects of such child very dim” He adds. “In addition, these pregnant teenage girls face a higher risk of long term health consequences during pregnancy and childbirth, including high rates of maternal death and obstetric fistula. He said.
While we the adults continue arguing over issues of sexuality, the teens are getting pregnant, said the archbishop. “Parents, Guardians, let us openly and honestly engage these young people in conversations or dialogues on spiritual values, dating, relationships and sexuality including issues related to teen pregnancy prevention” – Archbishop Mugalu
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, The Most Rev Dr Stephen Samuel Kaziimba in white, Doreen Kansiime, Advocacy coordinator -RHU, Achilles Kiwanuka-PPDAro
Daisy Kandole becomes International Advisory Committee Member
Reproductive Health Uganda’s (RHU), Youth Assistant will now serve as a member of an international youth advisory committee.Daisy Kandole, was appointed to the International Youth Advisory Committee for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DMoFA) starting November 2021 until January 2023.
Daisy Kandole, was appointed to the International Youth Advisory Committee for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DMoFA) starting November 2021 until January 2023. Kandole who has served as a volunteer at RHU since 2019, but is currently under the Youth Connect project, is strong-minded that young people the world over must claim and enjoy their sexual health and reproductive rights (SRHR’s).
“SRHR and young people cannot be separated if we are to develop. Currently, young people are self-motivated and must enjoy their SRHR’s. This calls for empowerment of the young people with SRHR information for them to make informed SRHR’s decisions.”
Kandole, who doubles as a youth action movement member (YAM) at RHU -Kampala, walked off competition from 800 applicants initially before only 20 persons were shortlisted for an online interview, in which she emerged victoriously. The newly established DMoFA under its Youth At Heart Strategy aims at putting young people at the center of its international corporation. It comprises 10 young people drawn from across the 271 countries of the world with a cardinal role giving strategic guidance to programming, policy-making, and strategic partnerships for the Ministry for youth.
Jackson Chekweko, RHU Executive Director pledges the organization’s management support to Daisy Kandole, while saying “With consistent hard work, you will break the roof glass and reach the sky. We shall support you.”
Kandole is not the first RHU – YAM member to be internationally recognized and appointed to serve on a youth committee. In 2016, Olgah Daphynne Namukuza, was elected as the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) regional representative for the Youth Action Movement after volunteering at Reproductive Health Uganda, a non-governmental organization (NGO) since she was a student.
Kyadondo Rotary Club Donates UGX 7 million Clinical Equipment to RHU
Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) Katego clinic has received new clinical equipment worth UGX 7 million, thanks to Kyadondo Rotary Club Kampala. The equipment includes recovery beds, cubicle curtains, window curtains, metallic cupboards, drip stands, mattresses, blankets, bedsheets, and a 32-inch LED television monitor. Other pieces of equipment for the Ultrasound scanning room include curtains, linen cupboards, and curtain rods.
Speaking at the handover of the equipment, Peter Sewagudde, the President of the Kyadondo Rotary Club noted that the decision to donate was arrived at after identifying a role played by RHU in offering integrated sexual reproductive health and rights services (SRHR) indiscriminately to the underserved and vulnerable people in Uganda.
“We celebrate SRHR and family planning service providers like RHU and this is the initial stage of a partnership that will last forever,” Sewagudde said.
A team of Rotarians from Kyadondo conducted a Medical Mission at RHU Katego clinic early October 23, 2021, with a mission of giving a facelift.
Sewagudde, explains that it is upon this background that their team identified the challenges at the Katego RHU clinic facility and considered offering the required equipment.
Doctor Peter Ibembe, the RHU Director of Programs confirms that their RHU Katego clinic needs a facelift from donors and volunteers, especially in the areas of specialized equipment. He welcomed the donation, saying it will improve RHU’s efficiency and quality of SRHR and family planning service delivered.
RHU offers integrated SRHR, family planning, sexual and gender-based violence cervical cancer screening and vaccination, COVID – 19 RDT, fertility tests, HIV, STI, and counseling services among others in its 20 clinics located across the country.
RHU Trains Staff in Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning
Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) has trained staff in emergency preparedness and response planning training skills.
Dr. Peter Ibembe, RHU Director of Programs says that the three-day training program held at Fairway Hotel in Kampala aimed at preparing RHU staff with emergency preparedness tools and guidelines that are internationally recognized and can be adapted to the Ugandan local contexts like risk assessment guidelines, security programming in humanitarian settings and drafting emergency plans.
He said that as the trainees acquire the skills, the most important question posed to us is, how ready are we to respond to emergencies?
Robinah Nambooze, RHU Governance and Human Resource Manager (GHRM), says that the training is important, especially in line with building the capacity of RHU senior management staff to initiate a timely, effective and coordinated SRHR response in crisis and humanitarian situations. The training also provided a common understanding of systems, structures, resources, and human resource priorities, roles, and responsibilities in emergency response.
Annet Kyarimpa, RHU Manager Safe Motherhood says the emergency training is implemented by RHU with support from the UKaid, approaches in complex and challenging environments for sustainable sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ACCESS) project.
The ACCESS project was developed to produce a set of scalable, evidence-based, participatory approaches to support and engage marginalized and under-served populations in complex and challenging environments, to claim and access comprehensive sexual and reproductive health (SRH)information and services.
In this regard, it targets the more vulnerable and underserved populations such as urban poor, rural populations, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and young people.
Over the years, RHU has expanded its SRH service delivery network within the humanitarian setting by establishing physical facilities and outreach services in Rhino-camp in Arua district, 19 refugee settlements in Adjumani, and Parolinya refugee settlement in Obongi district. Other areas of operation or interventions are the Kyangwali refugee settlement In Kikuube district, Bidi-Bidi in Yumbe district, and Lamwo district.
Government Applauds RHU for Providing SRHR and Gender Equality Services
Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) has improved in providing sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender, and equity-related services in Uganda.
The observation was made by Dr. Charles Olaro, Director of Health Services at the Ministry of Health while presenting a speech on behalf of the Minister of Health at the 65th RHU annual general meeting (AGM) at Lira Margarita Palace Hotel.
He said that the Ministry of Health appreciates RHU in providing sexual reproductive and health rights services in Uganda and is a leader in providing these services, fighting gender-based violence, female genital mutilation to the vulnerable and underserved.
Statistics recorded in the year 2020 – 2021, indicate that RHU offered 7,171,805 million services to 1,093,420 clients compared to 7,721,138 services to 1513,164 clients in 2019/ 2020. The services offered include post-abortion care, adolescents SRHR services, family planning (FP), maternal health, HIV testing, sexual, gender-based violence (SGBV) counseling.
Jackson Chekweko, RHU Executive Director explained that the slight drop in services and clients in 2020, occured due to the COVID 19 pandemic effects. This he says has also accelerated teenage pregnancies and cases of SGBV in slums, refugee camps, and other hard-to-reach areas of Uganda.
Among the many issues highlighted, Chekweko called on the government of Uganda to allow for free emergency pills to be given to youths in Uganda.
“It is our wish that government makes emergency contraceptive pills free because many young people cannot afford them which limits access and this increases numbers of unintended pregnancies,” Chekweko posited.
Nathan T. Kipande, RHU National Executive Committee (NEC) Chairperson applauded the government for recognizing RHU in offering SRHR / FP services and upon its achievements despite COVID 19 and budget constraints among other issues.
“We will strengthen governance and management of RHU in the coming year to reach out to more people with SRHR / FP services,” Kipande declared.
The AGM was attended by 60 delegates from the government, NEC members, RHU staff, and the media.
Dr. Charles Olaro Director Health Services at Ministry of Health at RHU – AGM in Lira
Vast Lessons Learned at FP 2030 Regional Partners Workshop in Uganda
The FP 2030 supported by Advance Family Planning (AFP) and organized by Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) registered success, however, in line with the vision of the International Conference on Population and Development to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health services (SRHR), including contraception, remains unfulfilled.
Transforming the world, we live in, the FP 2030 regional partners meeting acknowledges the continuing need for sexual reproductive health and contraception by including two goals with targets aimed at universal access to contraceptive services. Realizing these goals requires greater focus and investment, to understand and address the barriers that millions of women and girls currently at risk of an unwanted pregnancy face in accessing and using voluntary family planning (FP).
While giving the welcome remarks, Jackson Chekweko, RHU Executive Director (ED) alluded to a story of the 21-year-old, who has impregnated 9 girls in his village in Kasese district during the two years of the pandemic and lockdown. He says there should be equity measurements of family planning, status, and contraceptive use.
More to come in this story!