The five year program named “Reducing high fertility rates and improving sexual reproductive health outcomes in Uganda (RISE) is to be implemented by Marie Stopes International (MSI) and UNFPA.
The RISE program will support the implementation of the Uganda Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan (FP-CIP) 2015-2020 to accelerate the uptake of modern contraception and reduce the negative health, social and economic consequences of high fertility rates.
According to a statement by DFID, Francesca Stidston, the Acting Head of DFID said at the launch of the program that UK Government remains committed to support the Government of Uganda to scale up family planning to reduce the negative health, social and economic consequences of high fertility rates.
“Over the next five years we will continue to support the government to improve sexual and reproductive health and achieve the Family planning 2020 commitments’” said Francesca Stidston.
The RISE strategic interventions to be rolled out in 96 districts in Uganda will also see the strengthening of Health Systems to address gaps in the availability of Family Planning commodities; and support policy formulation and advocacy to promote positive leadership on family planning issues.
The country representative of Marie Stopes, Dr. Carole Sekimpi said the programme intends to reduce maternal mortality and increase the use of modern contraceptives in Uganda.
“We want to increase awareness on the benefits of modern contraceptives; access to quality family planning services and access to age appropriate sexual reproductive health information for adolescents,” Dr. Sekimpi added.
UNFPA representative, Tabitha Miranda said that they are trying to address Uganda’s population challenge and improve family planning uptake.
“We want to track resource investment in family planning; review health education related policies to fill knowledge gaps; develop a national engagement strategy on sexual and health reproduction among others,” Miranda said.
According to Uganda’s Minister of State for Primary Health Care, Dr. Joyce Moriku Uganda has been lagging behind in terms of adopting family planning.
Uganda’s total fertility, maternal mortality, and teenage pregnancy rates remain among the highest globally.
Uganda is committed to scale up the use of modern family planning methods to ensure that every Ugandan woman can choose when and how many children to have.
In 2017 it revised its original commitment of 2012 to reduce the unmet need among adolescents from 30.4% in 2016 to 25% in 2021.