Tagged as: Reproductive Health

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.

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.

Parliamentarians from Africa and Asia Commend RHU’s work

Parliamentarians from Africa and Asia have commended Reproductive Health Uganda’s (RHU) work in promoting sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) services and Family Planning (FP).

While visiting RHU headquarters and Katego clinic, the parliamentarians were thrilled with RHU operations and promised to advocate a replica in Uganda and their home countries.

The purpose of the visit was to furnish the parliamentarians with what RHU has been does in reaching out to communities about sexual reproductive health rights (SRHR) services and Family Planning (FP). The parliamentarians from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Chad, Liberia among others, applauded RHU and its management in executing out workable strategies in promoting SRHR and FP.

Jackson Chekweko, RHU Executive Director in his remarks welcomed the parliamentarians to Uganda and RHU. He communicated to the visitors that RHU provides services in the hardest to reach and underserved parts of Uganda.

“We offer SRHR services in 29 districts of Uganda through 768 service points, 17 static clinics, 74 mobile facilities, 35 associated clinics and a network of hundreds of community-based organizations” Chekweko said.

The RHU Executive Director, also informed the parliamentarians, that over 1.5 million young people, women and men in Uganda are direct beneficiaries of RHU services per annum. This is achieved through the various service delivery and points located all over the country. He also said that RHU has a long standing experience of providing integrated comprehensive SRHR services and has championed the role of sexuality education in the country.

He however reiterated that in Uganda, “SRHR is not considered as an essential service which even worsened during the COVID19 pandemic crisis” Chekweko said.

Dr. Peter Ibembe, RHU Director of Programs communicated about the ICPD25 journey to the parliamentarians. He said that the Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) like RHU are making strides in complementing government programs.

“In 2019 RHU while working with the National Population Council (NPC) mobilized CSOs to organize the pre ICPD25 symposium. Through this symposium a position paper was developed and commitments made” Dr. Ibembe said.

Dr Ibembe, said that amidst the COVID19 pandemic, RHU has so far provided 7.2 million integrated SRHR services, which include family planning, HIC prevention, care and treatment, breast and cervical cancer screening, sexually transmitted infections management etc. to more than 1.2 million people.

The young SRHR volunteers were also represented by Daisy Kandole, and Brian Ssekajja, SRHR advocates and volunteers at RHU.

Daisy Kandole, disclosed that RHU has empowered her as a young person to know her rights to reproductive health and also become an advocate of Sexual Reproductive Health.

“ the different youth friendly services and programmes that RHU offers, to many young people like her have been empowered and can make better choices regarding their sexual reproductive health rights” Kandole said.

On the other hand Brian Ssekaja, mentioned that RHU offers him a platform to advocate for reproductive health services to young people. He says that through his voulunteering work and services at RHU, he has been able to tlk to young people in schools and so extending SRHR information to them. He adds that COVID19 has affected most of te work young people have been doing through RHU because schools have been closed and most young people are at home.

Esther Chandiru, is  a female sex worker from Bwaise, in Kampala – Uganda. She said that she was reffered to RHU clinic Bwaise by a friend of hers.

Esther, commends RHU for the many times she has visited the Bwaise clinic, she has been charged fairly and sometimes offered free outreach services, unlike at other health centers charge a lot of money.

There after Jackson Chekweko, RHU ED presented some challenges faced by RHU to the parliamentarians.

“COVID19 has hit the organization so hard. Some of the development partners that have been supporting RHU have also stopped because they also have their own financial problems caused by the COVID19 pandemic. We need to engage some of these partners like the UK government that have cut funding to some of the ongoing projects. He challenged the different MPs to play a role in advocating for health funds and grunts to developing countries like Uganda” Chekweko said.

He also disclosed that there are limited resources allocated to reproductive health. The resources are not enough to serve the growing population in the country.

In his closing remarks the leader of the delegation Hon. Constantino from Tanzania commended RHU for the work they do to extend sexual reproductive health rights especially to young people and marginalized communities.

Hon. Constantino also presented a gift to RHU through the executive director from the entire delegation.

Centre – RHU ED Jackson Chekweko with Parliamentarians from Africa and Asia at RHU Headquarters

Why Contraceptives?

Every 26th of September is World contraception day. The theme this year is ”The power of options ”. There’s 7 billion of us on this planet and the population just keeps growing. Babies are awesome. They have cute beady eyes, infectious smiles, that baby talk we love but don’t understand, the adorable outfits for the gram… and when they grow up you can send them to fetch the remote. It’s all too precious. But we can’t keep popping them out like there’s free resources just lying around. As awesome as babies can be, do not get entrapped by the peer pressure from friends or family to have as many than you can feed!

How long till you pop out the next kid?

It all depends on the couple’s plan. Some babies are oops babies. Precious nonetheless. A newborn can take over your life. So try to think about whether you and your partner have the time and energy a baby requires. And ask yourselves whether your other children are ready to deal with the reality of a baby in the home. Studies suggest that getting pregnant within 18 months after your first child is born can make it more likely that your second child will be born early, underweight, or smaller than usual. So…. you might want to wait for at least 24 months.

What Can I get on?

What works for your unique body and lifestyle won’t necessarily work for someone else. There’s no “perfect” one, but there is probably one out there that’s perfect for you. And what works for you now might not work for you in 10 years. Mum and dad need to work this out together. Talk to your doctor. Based on your age, lifestyle and medical conditions, they’ll let you know what works best. Our professional doctors at all our branches country wide are happy to take you through a range of options that might work to you! Click here to reach out!

Short Term Options??

• Contraceptive injection (renewed every eight weeks or every 12 weeks, depending on the type)
• Combined pill (taken every day for three weeks out of every month)
• Progesterone-only pill (taken every day)
• Contraceptive patch (renewed each week for three weeks in every month)
• Condoms
• Rhythm method

Long term options?

• Vasectomy
• Tubal Ligation
• IUD