Four out of ten pregnancies in Uganda are unintended/unwanted, new report

_____________________

Almost half of women with the most recent pregnancies or births in Uganda were unintended, a new report has discovered.

The performance monitoring for action (PMA) Uganda survey September to November 2024, found that four out of ten (42%) of pregnancies/births that occurred in Uganda last year were unintended/unwanted.

Although this is a slight drop from the previous 46 in 2022, family planning experts have noted that this is unacceptably high, and there is a need to work harder and reduce it further.

Breaking it further, the number rose higher to 54.6% among the unmarried women, but slightly lowered among the unmarried at 38.7%.

The same report reveals that there was a substantial difference between the urban at 57.1% and rural women at 58.7%.

Adolescents not spared

The PMA survey also discovered that unwanted pregnancies were even higher among adolescent girls, recording 58.4%, which was a slight drop from 62.9% in 2022.

The indicators are saddening given that no teenage/adolescent girl should be getting pregnant, noted Senior medical officer Adolescent and school health division at the Ministry of Health, Dr Allan Kasozi.

The co-principal investigator PMA Survey, Dr Simon Peter Kibira, addressing guests. (Credit: Agnes Kyotalengerire)

The co-principle investigator, Dr Simon Peter Kibira, agreed with the PMA survey, noting that the poor indicators hamper economic development.

“As a country there is no way we are going to have proper planning if we continue to have children who are unintended,” said Dr Kibira who also doubles as a senior lecturer, social and population scientist at Makerere University School of Public Health said the high number of unintended pregnancies create economic strain to families.

The findings from phase 4 panel survey of the Performance monitoring for action (PMA)-Uganda, September to November 2024, were disseminated by Makerere School of Public Health together with the Health Ministry on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Four Points by Sheraton Kampala.

Over the last 14 years, PMA Uganda surveys have provided regular family planning data to inform policy making and family planning programming in Uganda.

The PMA-Uganda surveys are funded by the William H. Gates Institute of Population and Reproductive Health, the Gates Foundation, and Children's Investment Fund Foundation.

Commissioner reproductive and child health, Dr Richard Mugahi, addressing guests. (Photo by Agnes Kyotalengerire)

Representing the Director General of health services, Dr Richard Mugahi, who is the commissioner for reproductive and child health at the Health Ministry, said family planning or child spacing is no longer a medical issue. “Family planning, birth control, and child spacing is a development issue. We only have to change our lenses and expand the scope,” said Dr Mugahi.

Dr Mugahi said the data gathered will guide the strategic planning and resource mobilisation, ensuring that the needs of Uganda are responded to effectively.

The senior presidential advisor on population and family matters, Dr Jotham Musinguzi, addressing participants during dissemination of the PMA survey results at Four Points by Sheraton Kampala on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (Photo by Agnes Kyotalengerire)

The senior presidential advisor on population and family matters, Dr Jotham Musinguzi, said family planning is a very important component of the development of a country.

Particularly, it is useful for the health of mothers and children. It also plays a vital role in other development indicators, such as life expectancy. 

The Director of Population and Social Statistics, Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Hellen Namirembe, said the results will contribute to the improvement of reproductive health and further empower women and young girls to make informed decisions.