Uganda, UK and UNFPA enter partnership to expand family planning access
According to UNFPA, the unmet need for family planning in Uganda has declined but remains high at 32%, with adolescents 15-19 years at 30%.
The new initiative by the British High Commission in Kampala and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will see over 500 health workers from at least 250 private clinics, pharmacies, and drug shops trained to deliver comprehensive family planning services. (New Vision/Files)
By Jacky Achan
Journalists @New Vision
KAMPALA - Over 500 health workers from at least 250 private clinics, pharmacies, and drug shops in the Kampala Metropolitan Area will be trained to deliver comprehensive family planning services.
It is part of a new initiative by the British High Commission in Kampala and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The two partners, on July 22, 2025, announced a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening access to family planning services through Uganda’s private sector. The function was at the British High Commission in Kampala.
The programme will also deploy digital and AI-powered chatbots to reach over 500,000 individuals with tailored family planning information.
The statistics
According to UNFPA, the unmet need for family planning in Uganda has declined but remains high at 32%, with adolescents 15-19 years at 30%.
The modern contraceptive prevalence rate is 35% and 9.4% among married young women 15 to 24 years old, with wide regional, rural and urban disparities.
The adolescent pregnancy rate stagnated at 25% among girls 15 to 19, with 12% of adolescent girls married off contributing to 23% of school dropouts.
This, according to the 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey.
Limited access to health and community-based services, inadequate number of skilled staff, commodity stock-outs at health facilities, negative socio-cultural values, poor adolescent responsive health systems, and weak implementation of policies and strategies are key challenges.
Expanding family planning
Funded through a UK government contribution of £785,220 (about sh3.8b), the initiative dubbed Empowering Women for Better Reproductive Health Outcomes, will support a focused nine-month intervention targeting the Kampala Metropolitan Area, including parts of Mukono and Wakiso districts.
The partnership aligns with Uganda’s Ministry of Health Total Market Approach and the Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan II. The goal is to strengthen sustainable and market-based solutions for family planning, particularly through the often underutilised private sector.
“This partnership reflects the UK’s commitment to modern development cooperation, one that empowers local systems, strengthens private sector engagement, and delivers lasting impact,” said Philip Smith, the Development Director at the British High Commission.
He added: “By investing in family planning, we are investing in women’s health, economic empowerment, and Uganda’s national development.”
UNFPA Uganda Country Representative Gift Malunga welcomed the support, noting its timely relevance.
“This contribution comes at a critical time,” she said. “It will help unlock the potential of Uganda’s private sector to deliver high-quality, client-centred family planning services, ensuring that no woman is left behind.”
She added that the partnership underscores the shared commitment of the UK and UNFPA towards advancing universal health coverage, gender equality, and the Sustainable Development Goals in Uganda; and also highlights the growing role of technology and private providers in reaching more people with the services they need.