The United Nations (UN) has pledged to continue supporting Uganda’s efforts to deliver integrated Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services, as well as HIV and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) programs.

The global prefect said they would continue with the ongoing joint programs with Uganda, aimed at promoting the integration of HIV and AIDS, under the Joint UN program of Support on HIV and AIDS (JUPSA), coordinated by UNAIDS.

The support, according to the UN resident country coordinator, Susan Ngongi Namondo, will help Uganda strengthen her drive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the National Development Plan (NDP) III.

Namondo said the support, channelled through the 2gether4SRH program, will also help in improving the sexual and reproductive health of adolescent girls, young people and key populations, building on achievements already registered over the last five years.

“On behalf of the United Nations, I convey our readiness to support the Integration of Sexual and Reproductive Health, HIV and Gender-Based Violence programs as our contribution to Uganda’s efforts to achieve the SDGs,” she said, during a health symposium organized by the Ministry of Health, Thursday at Nsambya.

The 2gether4SRHR program has been implemented in Uganda since January 2018, under the auspice of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and World Health Organization (WHO).

According to the UN, the program aims to strengthen the integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), HIV and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) services in East and Southern Africa (ESA) to accelerate action on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

In Uganda, the program was implemented as a catalytic intervention in 27 health facilities in eight selected districts in all regions of the country.

Namondo said over the past five years, the first-ever male involvement strategy for reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, GBV and adolescent health was developed, approved and implemented, producing tremendous results.

“We were also able to Increase mobilization of domestic funding through operationalization of the HIV mainstreaming policy and allocation of 0.1% of the budget to HIV, with more than $12m allocated annually,” she said.

She noted the need to promote age-appropriate information and services on contraception, sexual and reproductive health to the young people who are already sexually active and championing the return to school for those who dropped out because of pregnancy.

Sexual and Reproductive Health, HIV and GBV challenges share common root causes such as poverty, inequity in access to services, gender inequality and social marginalization of the most vulnerable groups, including women and girls.

The state minister for primary health care, Margaret Muhanga said sexual and reproductive health issues including HIV/AIDS, TB, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), and Malnutrition remain major public health concerns for Uganda.

She said this is demonstrated by the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) which stands at 5.4, unmet need for family planning at 30.4%, Maternal mortality at 336 per 100,000 live births, HIV prevalence among adults at 6.2%, and approximately 253 out of 100,000 people in Uganda who have TB.

“For Uganda to achieve Vision 2040 of having a healthy and productive population that contributes to socio-economic growth and national development, there is a need to accelerate the movement toward Universal Health Coverage.  This would require the integration of health care programming and service provision. Integration enhances resource efficiencies, strengthens systems, and addresses causes of poor health outcomes through expanded people-centred programming,” Muhanga said.

She said there is a need to design a mechanism to ensure the availability of commodities for both SRH, HIV, TB and other diseases at the health facilities to prevent stockouts of essential commodities for SRH/HIV/SGBV integration.

She added that there is also a need to train both health workers and community health extension workers in integrated SRHR/HIV and GBV services delivery.

Muhanga also noted the need to improve the infrastructures at the health facilities to offer better privacy and confidentiality while providing integrated SRH/HIV/SGBC services.