The rate at which Ugandan women produce children has a direct impact on the country’s socio-economic development, experts have warned.

A Ugandan woman on average produces up to six children throughout her life time, according to the Uganda Demographic Health Survey report of 2016.

However, experts of family planning on Tuesday (September 20) said if the trends continue, we will end up with a population of ‘poor quality children’ who will be deprived of the basic needs of life.

This they say has been made worse by the high rate of teenage pregnancies particularly registered during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“Ugandan women are giving birth to so many children. We also have children below the age of 18, giving birth to children. The more you give birth, the less likely you are to go to school. You will also not be able to fend for the children and the cycle will continue,” said Achilles Kiwanuka, the program officer Partners in Population and Development (PPD).

Partners in Population and Development (PPD) Manager Patrick Mugirwa, speaks during a breakfast meeting held on September 20, in Serena hotel in Kampala.

Kiwanuka explained that children born to young mothers who are not ready are children of poor quality because the mothers in most cases are not able to look after them.

“If you are not above 18, it is too early to give birth. If you are a mother and your child has not celebrated his or her second birthday, please don’t conceive. It is advisable that every child you have above the fourth child is a dangerous pregnancy and if you are above 36, you are a bit older to continue giving birth. The answer to all this is contraception,” Kiwanuka advised.

He was speaking to journalists at the end of a 13-year project on Advance Family Planning Initiative held at Serena hotel on Tuesday.

Reproductive Health Uganda and partners in Population and Development have been implementing the Advance Family Planning (AFP) advocacy initiative in Uganda with the aim of realising the family planning 2020, now 2030 commitments.

AFP aims to increase financial investment and political commitment needed to enable all women and girls access quality voluntary family planning.

However, Patrick Mugirwa, the manager PPD said whereas the family planning land scape has been improving, Uganda is still lagging behind.

“There are some issues constraining family planning in this country, notably, policies which have been on the shelf for a very long time, pending approval,” he said.

Mugirwa said some of the indicators identified for addressing family planning such as the contraceptive prevalence rate staggers at 37% as compared to the desired 50% threshold.

Reproductive Health Uganda Advocacy and Communication manager Richard Mugenyi, speaks during a breakfast meeting held on September 20 at Serena Hotel in Kampala.

But also the myths surrounding family planning remain a challenge. “Some sections of the population feel family planning is still about population control or that it is something that has a human right dimension. We also have religious leaders who think family planning is against religious beliefs. They forget that at that time the world was empty but we have reached a point where we can no longer be advocating for such. How shall we feed cloth and educate them.”

Family planning is the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births. It is achieved through use of contraceptive methods such as condoms, Intra Uterine Device, Implant, pills and vasectomy for men.

Things that may play a role on family planning decisions include; marital situation, career or work considerations, financial situations, among others.