UK offers £38 million to boost family planning uptake

With Uganda’s fertility rate topping in the region, family planning methods have been looked at as the silver bullet to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

But their accessibility remains a challenge especially in areas predominately rural.

In a bid to address this gap and ensure access to sexual and reproductive health in Uganda, the UK government has offered £38 million grant to government.

The grant will be overseen by Marie Stopes Uganda, an organisation that is devoted to improving reproductive health.

It will go towards implementing the five-year program dubbed RISE (Reducing High Fertility Rate) and improving sexual reproductive health outcomes.

It will focus on six key regions in Uganda.

Launched by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga , the programme is tailored to ensuring access to family planning.

It is expected to halve the unmet needs of family planning from 28% to at least 10% by 2020.

Dr Carol Sekimpi, the country director Marie Stopes, said: "We have four outcome indicators including service delivery, burst myths on family planning and increase demand for family panning services by providing information."

She said during the five-year period of the programme, health workers will equipped to avail family planning services even without outreaches from partners like Marie Stopes.