Mukono leading in teenage pregnancy

Jun 22, 2016

A health report says 24% of all teenage girls in the district have produced children.

Mukono District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Elly Tumushabe has disclosed that the district is among those leading in teenage pregnancy cases, domestic violence, food insecurity and malnutrition-related diseases among children.

He said that according to last year's district health report, 24% of all teenage girls in the district with a population of 700,000 people have produced children.

"And owing to their undeveloped anatomy and body systems, many undergo Caesarean births, and often become destitute thereafter as they have no means to look after their children."

The DHO was on Tuesday addressing medical workers, district and religious leaders, and civil society organisation (CSO) representatives at a dialogue called to share views on community perspective of family planning in the district and identify gaps therein.

It was organized by the German Foundation for World Population (DSW) who are funding a three-year family planning advocacy project in the districts of Mukono, Tororo, Kamuli and Mityana.

During the training, results of a study conducted in the sub-counties of Kasawo, Nama, Nagojje, Ntenjeru and Mukono central division were released, indicating a number of family planning challenges.

Tumushabe said domestic violence escalates due to poverty in homes, with family heads unable to provide food, school fees, treatment needs and other requirements.

He also noted that there is high maternal mortality rate, with an average 14 mothers dying every day, adding that this further complicates the problem of destitute children who seek solace on streets on death of parents.

Giving an outline on operations of DSW, SHAPE Project Advocacy Officer Diana Tibesigwa said it is operational in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia, and that under it, they extend financial assistance geared at addressing family planning handicaps by the end of the project in 2018.

She said among challenges identified among communities in the five sub-counties surveyed include lack of correct information on family planning, herbalists who are said to decampaign family planning, lack of male involvement, drug stock outs and side effects including abdominal pains, prolonged bleeding, and others.

On the way forward, participants agreed that herbalists should be brought on board to support family planning seminars and other sensitization methods, as well as set bylaws to control spread of misconceptions and de-campaigning statements.

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