Stakeholders in the Kyangwali refugee settlement in Kikuube district are calling for continued sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, if there is to be a tremendous reduction in unplanned births, maternal deaths, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.  In 2021, Reproductive Health Uganda’s (RHU) ACCESS, a project funded by the United Kingdom government (UKaid) was launched in the Kikuube district to accelerate the acquisition of enhanced and integrated SRHR and family planning services among the refugees and host communities in Kyangwali refugee settlement.

According to Dr. Peter Ibembe, RHU Director of Programs, the project focused on strengthening public systems to integrate and adopt SRHR services through training village health teams (VHTs), peer educators to provide home care.

The ACCESS project was also launched to co-produce solutions that improve preparedness efforts, response, and recovery efforts and that tackle urgent and sensitive SRHR issues.

The ACCESS project was reduced to nine months from three years after @UKaid called off funding its implementation.

This stunned RHU the ACCESS project implementers and stakeholders like United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Office the Prime Minister (OPM), Medical Teams International (MTI), Kikuube district local government, and Spice FM.

Kyangwali refugee settlement was selected to benefit from the project because:

• more than 30 women were dying each month from birth-related complications
• 600 babies are body every month
• The host communities and 130,000 refugees are underserved with family planning and other SRHR services
• High cases of teenage pregnancies, sexual and gender-based violence
• High HIV/ AIDS prevalence and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

However, within nine months of operation, 8000 people have benefited from free SRHR services, 60 VHT’s trained, and 20 health care providers. The project also provided bicycles to VHT’s, sanitation equipment and conducted outreaches at all health Centers in the Kikuube district.

However, as the project winds up in the district, stakeholders argue that the SRHR services offered and ACCESS project gains must be sustained.

Nicholas Kwikiriza, Kikuube district health officer says without the RHU – ACCESS project, maternal health challenges, teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, and gender-based violence may increase. He calls on the OPM, UNHCR, and MTI to continue supporting the RHU – ACCESS project.

“the UNHCR, MTI, and OPM need to come out bravely to support RHU – ACCESS project to continue because of the demand for SRHR services and family planning created by the RHU – ACCESS project,” Kwikiriza said.

Robert Musiime, HIV/AIDS Coordinator at MTI says the challenges are still available that need the RHU – ACCESS project needs to continue.

John Bosco Kyaligonza, Kyangwali refugee settlement Commandant says such a very crucial project must be supported by another funder to maintain and increase SRHR services in the settlement.

Dr. Ibembe, however, says RHU is here to stay and welcome other funders to come on board after the ACCESS project closed its operations.

RHU – ACCESS project stakeholders from Kyangwali refugee settlement in Kikuube district