ACTUATE Project Expands Access to Reproductive Health Services Across Uganda

GUESTPOST

The ACTUATE project has made major progress in improving access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and products across Uganda, helping millions of women and young people over the past four years.

Launched in 2021, the four-year project works to increase the availability of SRH services through both public and private health channels. Recently, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) extended funding for two more years, allowing the project to continue until 2027.

ACTUATE has worked closely with partners including DKT, Women First Digital (WFD), Community Health Rights Network (COHERINET), Population Services International (PSI), and Ipas Africa Alliance to improve service quality, create demand, remove barriers, and make the SRH market more efficient.

Guests share insights during the ACTUATE programme engagement at the Bunga warehouse.

Project reports show that over 190,000 women of reproductive age have received quality contraceptive services. More than 40,000 women accessed subsidised contraceptives, while over 90,000 were motivated to start using contraception for the first time. In addition, safe delivery services were offered to more than 7,000 women, and over 7,000 healthcare providers received training to improve service delivery.

The project has also developed and shared the TMA strategy and leakage tool, registered six new SRH products, empowered over 1,000 female-owned healthcare outlets, and reached more than 65 million men and women with reproductive health information through multiple communication channels.

So far, ACTUATE has delivered 3 million couple-years of protection (CYPs), including 2.8 million through sales and 188,000 through services. The project has helped prevent an estimated 641,135 unintended pregnancies, 2,260 maternal deaths, and 808,991 unsafe abortions over four years.

 The ACTUATE project shows how partnerships and working with both public and private health providers can improve access to reproductive health services for women and young people.

The project continues to operate in 240 health facilities across 21 districts and is expected to further increase the use of long-acting contraceptive methods while strengthening Uganda’s reproductive health system.