Kamuli runs out of family planning pills

A recent research by German Foundation for World Population (DSW) Uganda to encourage the community participation for improved and increased funding for family planning has found out that residents of Kamuli have missed out on taking family planning pills for the last two months. Diana Tibesigwa the Advocacy Officer DSW made the revelation during a community dialogue at Kiroba Primary School at Kitayundwa Subcounty in Kamuli yesterday. "The problem is that for the last three years Ugandans were not consuming many pills.

They anticipated the remaining pills would take the country for the previous year and this year. Unfortunately people have taken the pills and most centres have run out of stock. For most facilities that we have been to, there are other family planning methods but pills are finished, " Tibesigwa explained. The running out of pills has affected mostly the Bugulumbya Health centre IV and residents have resorted to using alternatives.

This may affect the individuals whose bodies are compatible with the method. "Of the recent two consignments that we received, there were no pills, this left the community and health worker with no choice and they ended up taking a family planning method that may not work for their bodies," Simon Mbiira, the Senior Clinic Officer Bugulumbya said.

Alex Mulindwa, the Acting Health Officer Kamuli Municipal confirmed the that there is a stockout in the district saying there are other family planning methods but not pills. He however added that they are in the process of distributing the condoms that are in stock at one of their facilities. "One of our facilities has pills and we are to distribute them to the different health centres until we get a consignment that has pills, " Mulindwa explained.