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.
