By Juliet Lukwago

THE Nabagereka (queen) of Buganda, Sylvia Nagginda, has advised men to embrace reproductive health programmes to avoid unnecessarily large families, which are difficult to maintain.

Nagginda also asked men to join the fight against defilement and desist from adulterous lifestyles to create an HIV/AIDS free generation. “Men tend to sit back and watch as their wives struggle to plan for their families. We need responsible parents, who can plan with their wives to produce a reasonable number of children they can look after,” Nagginda said.

She made the remarks in Kalangala district on a three-day campaign, in which she talked to residents, students, civic and religious leaders about reproductive health and HIV infection prevention.

Nagginda also addressed meetings at Kalangala Tranding Centre, Bumangi Catholic Parish, Bugoma, Kasekulo, Busenga, Bbeeta, Kibanga Nakatiba landing site and Bwendero. She also visited Bujumba Health Centre IV and the Kalangala Forum of People Living With HIV/AIDS Network.

She emphasised that concerted efforts beginning at family level would help eradicate the pandemic, which has left many orphans, widows and widowers helpless.

Nagginda added that it was regrettable that married men engaged in acts of defilement and adultery, which she said were high in the distrtict.

She pointed out the need to empower women and men to engage in income- generating activities to reduce susceptibility to vices, which would lead to HIV infection.

Nagginda advised parents to talk to their children, especially the girls, to avoid bad habits and resisit enticement by sugar daddies (men), who she said spoil their future.

She also blamed parents, who send children to shops late in the night, making them victims of defilers and agents of child sacrifice.

The Kalangala Woman Member of Parliament, Ruth Kavuma, said the biggest problem in the district was the absence of health facilities to offer antenatal and postnatal services to expectant mothers.

As a result, Kavuma said, the mothers resort to traditional birth attendants, who sometimes cause serious health complications.

Eva Nakimuli from the Population Secretariat, urged pregnant mothers to always seek antenatal and postnatal services from clinics.
She also decried the number of pregnant under-age girls in the district. Kalangala comprises 84 islands, with over 50,000 residents on each.