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World Population Day 2023: “Unleashing the power of gender equality”
World Population Day 2023: Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities.
Women and girls make up 49.7% of the global population, yet they are often ignored in discussions on demographics, with their rights violated in population policies.
This pervasive injustice keeps women and girls out of school, the workforce and leadership positions; limits their agency and ability to make decisions about their health and sexual and reproductive lives; and heightens their vulnerability to violence, harmful practices and preventable maternal death, with a woman dying every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth.
We must advance gender equality to create a more just, resilient and sustainable world. The creativity, ingenuity, resources and power of women and girls are fundamental to addressing demographic and other challenges that threaten our future, including climate change and conflict.
When women and girls are empowered by societies to exert autonomy over their lives and bodies, they and their families thrive.
The First Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda Commends Reproductive Health Uganda Efforts to Improve Sexual Reproductive Health Access and Address Disparities
The First Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda and Minister for East African Community Affairs, the Rt. Hon Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, has applauded Reproductive Health Uganda for its efforts in improving access to sexual reproductive health services in Uganda, particularly among vulnerable and marginalised communities.
Speaking during the RHU 67th annual general meeting held in Kampala, Hon Kadaga lauded the organisation for its dedication to improving the health status of Ugandans through increased access to sexual reproductive health services.
The emeritus Speaker of the ninth and tenth Parliament of Uganda acknowledged RHU’s key role in providing vital services including HIV and STI testing and counseling, family planning, and maternal health care to millions of people across Uganda.
Despite the commendable efforts of RHU in providing key sexual and reproductive health services, Hon Kadaga acknowledged that there was still a considerable gap in the availability of these essential services to communities.
Her remarks highlighted an unfulfilled need among vulnerable and marginalised groups, underlining the continued importance of work towards expanding provision of such vital health services in Uganda.
“Data clearly show that we have a significant disparity in access to sexual and reproductive health services, with my home region of Busoga alone accounting for over seven percent of the overall national figures on teenage pregnancies,” Hon Kadaga said, before adding, “This is a sobering statistic, and it underscores the urgent need for greater access to the range of vital sexual reproductive and health services.”
“The frequency of these inequalities represents an alarming failure of our collective efforts to safeguard young Ugandans, with damaging consequences for both individuals and society at large,” she said.
Hon Kadaga, emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing such sexual and reproductive health-related challenges, with increased involvement of men and boys.
“Despite well-intentioned interventions and programmes aimed at promoting sexual and reproductive health, many fail to engage men and boys adequately, limiting the effectiveness and reach of these initiatives,” she said.
Hon Kadaga highlighted the vital role that men and boys must play in addressing these issues and advocated for the inclusion of effective outreach, education, and support programmes targeted not only women and girls but also men and boys.
She said, by ensuring the active involvement of both women and men in such initiatives, it would be possible to drive change and make tangible inroads towards addressing sexual and reproductive health-related challenges, promoting more positive and healthy outcomes for all of Uganda’s citizens.
“We need to broaden our approach because it is not only girls who need education and support around sexual reproductive health. We also need to engage boys and men to ensure they are prepared for the responsibilities that come with sexual relationships,” Hon Kadaga noted.
This could be done by adopting comprehensive and holistic approaches that include mindset change to promote safer, healthier relationships.
She emphasised the collective responsibility to ensure sexual health and wellbeing of all Ugandans, of which everyone needed to rise to the challenge.
In a meeting filled with key stakeholders and partners, RHU showcased its recent achievements, unveiling several new initiatives aimed at reaching the underserved and vulnerable communities in Uganda.
Hon Kadaga called upon other organisations to emulate RHU’s efforts and support the establishment of essential health service delivery points in order to guarantee access to such services among the marginalised and vulnerable communities.
She pledged continued government support to RHU and other similar organisations devoted to improving reproductive health of Ugandans.
RHU easily has become a force to reckon with when it comes to sexual reproductive health services, mobilising communities and elites alike to ensure no one is left behind regardless of their ability to pay for the services.
RHU signs Memorandum of Understanding with Lango Cultural Foundation
On October 18, 2022, cabinet leaders from the Lango Cultural Foundation (LCF) in northern Uganda signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU).
According to Robert James Ajal, LCF Prime Minister who led the cabinet delegation, integrating sexual reproductive health (SRH) into the LCF plan for 2022 to 2026 is critical in order to manage the LCF population and harness development in homes and as a foundation.
“Lango Cultural Foundation will educate and sensitize communities about sexual reproductive health and family planning, as well as strengthen the enforcement of existing laws against gender-based violence, defilement, child neglect, marriages, and land conflicts. Encourage and support the education of girls,” Ajal said.
The signing of the MoU was witnessed by the Lira district local government and the office of the Presidency, which vowed to protect the partnership and thus reached and birthed between RHU and LCF.
Dennis Otim Otto, Principal Assistant Secretary from the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, pledged to support the partnership which aims to achieve demographic dividends for Lira district local government and also the Lango sub-region of Northern Uganda.
“We will support the partnership between Reproductive Health Uganda and Lango Cultural Foundation because it aligns with the Government of Uganda’s development goals like the NDP III, vision 2040, and the Parish Development Model pillar number four (4),” Otim said.
In his remarks, Jackson Chekweko, RHU Executive Director, said that as we climax with what we started in 2020 with the Lango Cultural Foundation (LCF), a resolution to promote family planning was jointly signed. LCF is now ready to cruise on its own.
“We are now putting in place a framework that will help our relationship progress. Our partnership with the Lango Cultural Foundation is based on work that improves the lives and social welfare of Lango residents and the foundation,” Chekweko said.
RHU and LCF signed a group resolution before, to promote family planning in September 2020, with support from Advance Family Planning (AFP).
The resolution, which focuses on educating communities about family planning and incorporating family planning into the LCF’s budget and development plan, has had an impact on all eight districts in the Lango region.
Cultural leaders in the Lango Kingdom are stewards of local traditions and powerful influencers of community values and health-seeking behaviors.
Dr. Buchan Patrick Ocen Lira, district health officer, disclosed that the signing of the MoU will help achieve Family Planning commitments 2030 by reducing the unmet need for family planning in the Lango region, now at 27.4% among married women and girls [1]. Cultural preferences for large families and substantial dowries for young brides have traditionally hampered family planning. This all contributes to a teen pregnancy rate of 35.2% in the region, which is higher than the national average [2].
While closing the signing ceremony, Lawrence Egole, Resident City Commissioner for Lira City, stated that Lira and the Lango subregion have many street people because parents were not guided about how to many children’s birth and care in the community.
He encourages other cultural, religious, and educational institutions in Uganda to join efforts to capitalize on demographic dividends.
Advance Family Planning (AFP) local partner Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) has supported family planning advocacy in the Lira district of Lango since 2017. In 2019, during a meeting with the Lira district advocacy working group, a local district speaker identified the challenge of cultural leaders speaking negatively about family planning within the community. In August 2020, the National Population Council (NPC), a national governing body, held a meeting in Lira with representatives of the Lango Cultural Foundation, the kingdom’s governing body, on how to engage with cultural leaders to promote family planning. They identified the council of clan chiefs, overseen by the paramount Chief, His Highness the Won Nyaci me Lango Yossam Odur Ebii, as key to their advocacy efforts.
The writer of this article Aldon Walukamba is the RHU Media Advocacy and Documentation Coordinator
References
Uganda Bureau of Statistics (2016). Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Retrieved from https://dhsprogram.com/publications/publication-FR333-DHS-Final-Reports.cfm
Uganda Ministry of Health. Uganda District Health Information System (DHIS) 2. Accessed October 2022.
Why Family Planning Is Beneficial to Uganda’s development stride
Given the state of Uganda today, it is urgent that humanity and nature exist in balance. The burden, of course, is on the people to make this happen. In a country of 42.9 million people that could grow to 100 million by 2050, we are making this more difficult.
It doesn’t have to be that way. We know what must be done, but we must find the political and societal/cultural will to make it happen, in a manner that supports having a proper conversation about the best approaches. The solutions to attaining a healthy population count are grounded in the principles of rights and empowerment and are things the world should be doing anyway.
One of the first things to do is to invest in young people, who make up more than 75% of Uganda’s population and a population of 24 million women in health, particularly by providing deliberate and voluntary family planning services. This is often referred to as “low-hanging fruit,” because it is the right thing to do, relatively simple to provide, and something that most women and men desire. Everyone should have the right to plan if and when to have a family, and have the tools, resources, and access to do so, or not do so.
There are more than 23.19 million women in Uganda, including 10 million that are of reproductive age, but 17% want to delay or avoid pregnancy but are not using a modern contraceptive method. It is also true that 46 percent of Uganda’s estimated 36 births per thousand pregnancies in 2020 were unintended (PMA,2020).
The estimated current annual cost of providing modern contraceptive services in Uganda has gaps, including direct and indirect costs.
According to the National Family Planning (FP) Cost Implementation Plan (CIP) II (2021/22–2024/25), the overall funding need for FP commodities is the US $332.3 million. The government’s overall commitment to the reproductive health (RH) supplies budget over this time period, however, is the US $ 25 million. If this were to be expanded and improved to address all men and women’s needs for modern contraception in Uganda, a funding gap of US $ 307.3 million needs to be avoided.
Just to put that in perspective, the total per capita consumption of pure alcohol is 23.7 liters in Uganda. This approximately accounts for 480,000 shillings spent on alcohol by each Ugandan.
The government allocated a total of UGX 3.722 trillion for healthcare delivery in the financial year (FY) 2022/23. This has been largely geared towards the COVID-19 vaccination.
The good news is that with the celebration of 13 years of the Advance Family Planning initiative (AFP) in Uganda, the citizens know what to do, how to do it, and why to do it concerning family planning access. Let’s look at just two examples of why investing in family planning can make a huge difference in people’s lives in Uganda.
Most of the districts in Uganda are experiencing the highest rates of population growth in the world. In fact, Uganda’s population is expected to double, from 42.9 million today to 100 million by 2050. (UBOS, 2020)
One of the country’s fastest-growing populations in Wakiso. Its current population of 2.9 million is projected to reach 5.1 million by 2050, and it is one of Uganda’s youngest and most urbanized districts, with over 88 percent of the population under the age of 30. The district also has a number of street children and destitute.
One in four girls between the ages of 15 and 19 in Uganda has given birth or is carrying her first child, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country’s 2020 report. Reducing teen pregnancies will result in greater education and economic opportunities for young people. Meeting the reproductive rights and needs of youth through education, outreach, and access to services is imperative. Local organizations such as Reproductive Health Uganda and partners are working with youth to raise awareness and access to contraceptives and family planning services.
Unplanned teenage pregnancies account for 25% of all pregnancies in Uganda (PMA, 2020). The district of Iganga worked to change this situation through the Iganga Family Planning Initiative, which provided training, support, and low-or no-cost long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) to low-income women, especially teens through the AFP and other interventions.
The Iganga district made more progress than any other district in using family planning to reduce unplanned pregnancies (UBOS, UNFPA, 2020). The district department of Health reported that teen pregnancies were nearly cut in half and that, ” the AFP initiative and other interventions empowered thousands of Iganga women to choose when and whether to start a family” Iganga’s experience is a model for other districts. They can now educate, treat and do other development activities with fewer, but manageable family sizes. If replicated, with fewer resources required to manage families, the surplus can go to agriculture, and business and help achieve Uganda’s national development plan III and vision 2040 indicators.
As we celebrate this year’s World Contraceptive Day on September 26, 2022, let’s focus on family planning as a development issue; make it visible; budget for it; and make policies that allow for its access in Uganda. It is good for the child, mother, father, and family.
The author of this opinion story Aldon Walukamba is a Media Advocacy and Documentation Coordinator at RHU
Child bride and fistula survivor becomes an advocate for change
Uganda : Rachael Wotali, was just a teenager, married at 17, when she nearly died in childbirth.
It was the year 2015 in eastern Uganda’s Iganga District. Wotali, as a young bride, may have been biologically unprepared for motherhood.
Her labor was extended and blocked, which may have been fatal. Her access to emergency treatment was also critically hampered. She recalls her mother yelling with the health care provider over their extended wait for help.
Unfortunately, the baby died at birth, leaving Wotali with an obstetric fistula, a hole in the birth canal that rendered her incontinent and exposed to a variety of other medical issues, including infections.
“I never enjoyed being a woman in marriage since I had this condition,” she later recalled. “It was tough to live.”
Today, the 23rd April 2022 is International Day to Put an End to Obstetric Fistulas. Fistulas are one of the most dangerous and devastating delivery injuries, and they are virtually totally avoidable. Access to competent maternal health care, particularly Caesarean sections to treat obstructed labor, can save both women’s and their kids’ lives and health.
Although the prevalence of obstetric fistula in Uganda stands at two percent, a 2016 study by the Ministry of Health estimates 200,000 women are living with fistula, and 1,900 new cases occur each year.
Yet more than two million women in the developing world are estimated to be living with this condition. Its persistence is a sign that health and protection systems are failing women and girls.
Wotali lived with an obstetric fistula for six years. In that time, she had a son and a daughter. But, like many fistula survivors, she was isolated, enduring ridicule if she left home. She was unable to do community work, attend funerals or visit church, she told Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), while receiving family planning.
Nothing appeared to work towards improving the situation. “Traditional herbalists tried everything, and we had been told to do lots of things but the condition was never healed,” she recalled. “When you are in that situation, you try almost everything.”
But one day, one year ago, her sister was chatting with community members at a nearby borehole. Someone mentioned that a woman in the district had received treatment for chronic urinary incontinence. It turned out a fistula repair camp was taking place at Iganga district hospital.
She rushed to tell her mother.
Over 25 women received treatment during the government – private partnership supported event, including Wotali.
“I am now dry. I have no problem,” Wotali said. “This is how a woman should be.”
Many of the women, like her, have endured the condition a long time. One Alowo, lived with fistula for 28 years in Mayuge district but was also treated.
We all need to take action against obstetric fistula. It is estimated that two per cent of women in the country have experienced an obstetric fistula, according to a 2016 survey.
Since her treatment, Wotali has become an advocate for fistula survivors, helping multiple women receive repairs.
She says she still thinks back to the fateful day that she learned there was hope and help for women with obstetric fistula.
“That morning when my sister went to draw water saved my life,” she said.
Aldon Walukamba G, the author, is the RHU Media Advocacy and Documentation Coordinator.
UNFPA Applauds RHU for Promoting Family Planning in Uganda
Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) partners have resolved to prioritize family planning (FP) access areas that government can implement easily.
This was disclosed at a sustainability, readiness assessment dialogue by partners like the Ministry of Health, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and some Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) at Ridar hotel in Mukono.
Roselline Achola, UNFPA Program Analyst for FP/RHCS says the sustainability, readiness assessment dialogue aimed to bridge the gap between public and private family planning stakeholders in Uganda.
She says the private and public sector in Uganda, given good data collection, analysis and reporting can find solutions to the challenges facing access and delivery of family planning services in Uganda.
“as partners are trying to scale down funding to Uganda, evaluation of family planning and reproductive health services is a great step to take to have family planning services by ourselves,” Achola said.
Dr. Peter Ibembe, Reproductive Health Uganda Director of Programs advised meeting stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and Civil Society Organizations to prioritize family planning areas that can be easily implemented and funded by partners.
“Let us prioritize key areas which can be easily implemented for better results,” Dr. Ibembe.
The sustainability, readiness assessment dialogue was attended by the Ministry of Health and other CSO’s.
Group photo : RHU-UNFPA -MOH and CSOs at Ridar Hotel in Mukono
Kyangwali Settlement Stakeholders Call for Continued SRHR Service Delivery as ACCESS Project Closes
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
Lango Cultural Leader Signs 29 Resolutions to Achieve Demographic Dividends
His Highness the Won Nyaci me Lango Yossam Odur Ebii, has appended his signature to 29 resolutions made by the Lango Cultural foundation, and geared towards achieving the demographic dividends.
“I have been saddened by the situation in my Kingdom. Yesterday a man was brought to me, he had slept with the daughter”- His highness the Won Nyaci me Lango, Yossam Odur Ebii.
He says that from this day going forward! WORD should be spread, people should have manageable children. Children they can take care of in Lango sub region and Uganda.
Jackson Chekweko, Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) Executive Director has appreciated the commitment from Lango Cultural foundation and applauded the its leadership for the work done towards promoting family planning. He howver called for immediate action to end teenage pregnancies that are higher than the national average of 25% in most parts of Lango sub region.
“1 out 3 young girls in Lango is either pregnant or has had a child. But how many of these pregnancies end up in safe delivery? Or even unsafe abortions and how many have led to death? WE NEED TO ACT NOW” says Chekweko.
In September 2020, cultural leaders from the Lango Kingdom in northern Uganda for the first time signed a joint/group resolution to promote family planning. The resolution, which impacts all eight districts in the Lango region, will focus on educating communities about family planning and integrating family planning into the kingdom’s budget and development plan. Lango Kingdom’s cultural leaders are custodians of local traditions and important influencers of community values and health seeking behaviors.
Unmet need for family planning in the Lango region is 27.4% among married women and girls. Cultural preferences for large families and substantial dowries for young brides have traditionally hampered family planning use. This has contributed to a teen pregnancy rate of 35.2% in the region.
Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) with support from Advance Family Planning has supported family planning advocacy in the Lira district of Lango since 2017.
In 2019, during a meeting with the Lira district advocacy working group, a local district speaker identified the challenge of cultural leaders speaking negatively about family planning within the community. In August 2020, the National Population Council (NPC), a national governing body, held a meeting in Lira with representatives of the Lango Cultural Foundation, the kingdom’s governing body, on how to engage with cultural leaders to promote family planning. They identified the council of clan chiefs, overseen by the paramount chief, as key to their advocacy efforts.
The district working group brought together clan leaders in September 2020 to build consensus on the need to prioritize and promote family planning. Speakers from RHU; UNFPA; the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development; NPC; and the Lira district health officer shared compelling narratives and statistics highlighting the importance of family planning to support economic development and harness the demographic divided.
His Highness the Won Nyaci me Lango Yossam Odur Ebii, appending his signature
Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Experts brave COVID 19 to serve patients
Aldon Walukamba G. writes
Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRHR) medics are braving the COVID 19 pandemic risk, to offer Family Planning (FP) and counselling services to vulnerable, underserved patients.
Anisha Filda, who works for Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) in Acholi sub region is one of the frontline SRHR experts traversing communities during the COVID 19, pandemic’s second wave in Uganda. She counsels youths, teenagers, mothers and men on how to avoid unwanted pregnancies, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in homes and how to embrace family planning methods.
“without fully taking charge, to tell the people about the dangers of unwanted pregnancies, SGBV and the need for Family planning, Uganda will end up with a population of unproductive, full of dependents and many school drops outs among the teenagers who get pregnant and give birth during the COVID 19 inter district lockdown” Filda says.
In Acholi sub region alone more than 4,000 girls below the age of 17 were impregnated during the lockdown in 2020. Nicholas Ogwang, the Uganda Human Rights Commission Acholi regional Officer says there is need of mass awareness and engagement with cultural, religious and political leaders during the pandemic to stop child marriages and promote family planning among those that are sexually active.
17 – year – old Joyce Katwesige, Youth Action Movement (YAM) chairperson for Hoima district says girls and young women have the right to sexual and reproductive health services, despite government restrictions of movement during the COVID 19 pandemic in Uganda.
Lynda K. Birungi, a Reproductive Health specialist at RHU head office in Kampala believes that young women and girls get pregnant because they are not given the chance to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health wellbeing.
“Girls must be empowered to make their own decisions, about their bodies, future in health and education, but also to have access to ample health care services and education during the COVID 19 pandemic second wave 42 days lockdown” Birungi says.
Currently through the Ministry of Health (MoH), District local governments and Reproductive Health Uganda close to 10,000 young women and sexually active girls have been enrolled on Family planning and counselled by experts across Uganda during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Annet Kyarimpa, Manager Safe Motherhood at RHU says the SRHR services are offered courtesy of Advanced Family Planning (AFP) Initiative, under the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and ACCESS project funded by UKaid go on in various districts of Uganda.
“the free SRHR services have health many vulnerable people, despite challenges faced by service providers during the pandemic lockdown,” Kyarimpa says.
The Ministry of Health acknowledges that young people need to be empowered, to have the knowledge about choices they make in order to live healthy and rightful lives during the pandemic.
“Girls who become pregnant before they are 18 years of age lose their childhood. It becomes difficult for them to exercise their rights to education, health, safety, protection and an adequate quality of life in Uganda,” says Dr. Diana Atwiine Kanzira, Ministry of Health (MoH) Permanent Secretary.
According to government of Uganda and other researchers, during the COVID 19 pandemic wave one, close to 300,000 teenage girls got pregnant, cases of sexual and gender-based violence increased by more than 56% and many mothers got unwanted pregnancies in various parts of Uganda.
SRHR Experts administers Family Planning service to client in Bwaise – Kampala
Amidst COVID 19 : Safe Guarding the Health and Rights of Women and Girls
Uganda marked the World Population Day. Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), calls attention to the vulnerability and needs of women and girls amid the global Covid 19 pandemic.
There are so many options of contraceptives
Uganda Amidst COVID -19: Safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls
The author of this story is the Director of Programmes at Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU). Dr. Peter Ibembe, is also a researcher in Education, Maternal and Reproductive health