'Men should lead campaign against teenage pregnancy'

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Proponents of family planning methods as a means to improve quality of life have called on the Government to launch a large-scale sensitisation campaign led by men.

They noted that although women-led movements have made significant strides in reducing teenage pregnancies and school dropouts among girls, their efforts are often undermined by men who have not fully embraced the importance of such initiatives.

“We need to put men at the forefront in the fight against teenage pregnancies. This is because men are the pillars of the family and society, but many are yet to understand what the campaign is all about,” said Yudaya Babirye, the Busoga kingdom minister for Kyabazinga affairs.

“Many families are disintegrating because men are not playing their roles,” she added while officiating at a meeting held at the Source of the Nile Hotel in Jinja. The event, which took place on Saturday, June 7, 2025, was organised to disseminate the results of a survey on family planning use to stakeholders.

Babirye also stressed the importance of identifying the factors that hinder the uptake of family planning before implementing interventions.

She noted that Busoga kingdom, whose monarch, Kyabazinga William Gabula Nadiope was last year appointed United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for ending teenage pregnancies in Uganda, has made great progress in tackling the issue. However, she emphasised that broader community involvement is still needed.

“Cultural institutions are being underutilised, yet we are the keepers of culture,” she said, adding that the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development should mainstream the activities of these institutions.

The research was conducted in November 2024 by the Makerere University School of Public Health (MUSPH), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

According to Prof. Fredrick Makumbi, the lead researcher from Makerere University’s Department of Epidemiology, Busoga and Bukedi sub-regions recorded high teenage childbearing rates of 28% and 29%, respectively, both above the national average of 24%.

He said uptake of modern contraceptives was highest among individuals aged 20–24, who are more sexually active, and lowest among those aged 15–19.

Prof. Makumbi further noted that contraceptive use was also low among those aged 25–49, but higher in urban areas than in rural communities due to better accessibility and greater awareness.

“Four in ten women reported that their last birth or current pregnancy was unintended within the last five years. Of these, 12% did not want any more children,” he said.

He urged that family planning be treated as a development issue, warning that couples who have children without adequate spacing often end up with more children than they can care for, which in turn lowers their quality of life and endangers the health of both mother and child.

He also warned that childbearing among underage mothers leads to health complications, contributing to high levels of illness, as well as increased child and maternal mortality rates, all of which have a negative impact on the economy.

The report recommended that stakeholders develop strategies to keep girls in school in order to reduce dropout rates. These could include improving hygiene and sanitation facilities in schools.

Other recommendations included the sensitisation of mothers on the benefits of family planning during antenatal visits, immunisation campaigns, and other public gatherings, as well as addressing funding gaps that limit the effective implementation of related programmes.

Margaret Segonga, the Namutumba assistant district health officer, highlighted the need for a multi-sectoral approach to address teenage pregnancy.

Meanwhile, John Okeya, the LC5 chairperson of Tororo district, said the first step should be improving parenting.