Uganda seeks to sustain gains from five-year reproductive health programme

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A UK government-funded reproductive health programme has contributed to averting an estimated 432 maternal deaths, resolving more than 279,674 unintended pregnancies and preventing 63,693 unsafe abortions in Uganda.

The five-year EMPOWER Programme, led by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in partnership with Pathfinder International, the Ministry of Health and Marie Stopes, has strengthened health facilities, trained healthcare workers and expanded access to family planning services across 50 districts.

The programme's achievements were presented during a learning and transition event held at Lake Victoria Serena Resort in Kigo on November 6, 2026, where government officials and implementing partners discussed how to sustain the gains after the project closes.

Primary health care state minister Dr Charles Ayume called for continued government commitment to maintain the interventions, particularly by expanding access to family planning services in public spaces.

“We should walk this journey with them. I am engaging my colleagues from the ministry to find space for as small as a dispensary in public places like markets for family planning services,” Ayume said.

He acknowledged that the cost of family planning services remained a challenge for some Ugandans, adding that the government was working to make contraceptive methods more affordable and accessible.

Daniel Alemu, the UNFPA deputy country representative, said the programme had laid a foundation for improving reproductive health service delivery through partnerships with public and private healthcare providers.

“We have laid the foundation for a permanent transformation in healthcare delivery in Uganda,” Alemu said.

He said the programme adopted a Total Market Approach, which encouraged people able to pay for commercial health services to use private providers, while allowing public facilities to prioritise vulnerable populations.

Under the private sector component, the initiative enrolled 590 private health facilities and pharmacies and trained 780 healthcare workers to provide modern family planning services in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono.

More than 640,000 women accessed services through commercial providers, generating over 140,000 couple-years of protection against unintended pregnancies.

The programme also reached nearly seven million people through mass media campaigns and an artificial intelligence-powered WhatsApp chatbot that provided reproductive health information.

Alemu said partnerships with private health insurers, including Old Mutual, CIC, Jubilee Health and Sanlam, had helped integrate family planning into health benefit packages, potentially widening access to contraceptive services.

Improving maternal and newborn survival

Funded through the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), EMPOWER sought to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths while enabling women and girls to make informed reproductive health decisions.

According to programme results, the initiative delivered 851,030 couple-years of protection through family planning services and reached communities with information on contraception and harmful gender norms.

Pathfinder International country director Dr Rita Wadimba said the programme demonstrated the importance of combining investments in health infrastructure with skilled healthcare workers and community engagement.

“The core ambition was very clear: to strengthen the health system in ways that are tangible and lasting and make a difference in the lives of mothers, newborns, children, adolescents, and communities in Uganda,” Wadimba said.

To improve newborn survival, the programme equipped five neonatal intensive care units and two newborn care units.

A total of 227 newborns received thermal care through radiant warmers, while 411 benefited from Kangaroo Mother Care, a method that involves prolonged skin-to-skin contact between a newborn and caregiver to help regulate the baby's temperature and support breastfeeding.

Another 177 newborns received respiratory support. The programme also supplied 14 solar-powered blood refrigerators to Health Centre IVs, enabling facilities to dispense 802 units of blood between April and August 2026. Of these, 544 units were used for obstetric care, helping facilities manage women experiencing complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

Additionally, 11 point-of-care ultrasound devices were delivered to supported health facilities, while 11 midwives were trained in obstetric ultrasonography to improve access to pregnancy assessment services.

On workforce development, 770 health workers received district-led mentorship in emergency obstetric and newborn care and postpartum family planning.

Two fistula repair camps were also organised in Mubende and Hoima, providing treatment to 48 women with obstetric fistula and birth injuries.

Obstetric fistula is a childbirth-related injury that creates an abnormal opening between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum, often resulting in continuous leakage of urine or faeces. It is commonly associated with prolonged and obstructed labour without timely access to emergency obstetric care.

Reaching communities and young people

Beyond health facilities, the programme invested in community engagement to address misinformation, harmful social norms and barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing reproductive health services.

Programme results indicate that 779,761 people received family planning messages, while 48,580 were reached with information on harmful gender norms.

A further 39,623 adolescent girls and young women received information on preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence. The initiative also trained 528 community leaders to counter misinformation and harmful practices affecting reproductive health decisions.

These interventions were intended to improve awareness and encourage communities to support women and girls in making informed decisions about their reproductive health.

Sustaining the gains

As the programme transitions towards closure, stakeholders identified continued mentorship of health workers, domestic financing for family planning, reliable supplies of reproductive health commodities and improved health data management as key priorities.

Ayume's call for family planning services in public spaces such as markets reflects the need to take services closer to communities, particularly women who may face financial, geographical and social barriers when seeking care.

Wadimba said sustaining the achievements would require continued government leadership and collaboration among health facilities, development partners and communities.