Do not bequeath poverty to future generations
Nov 04, 2009
Between November 15 and 18 this year, the International Conference on family planning, research and best practices will be held in Uganda. Experts will converge at Speke Resort Munyonyo to review actions towards different aspects of family planning. This
Peter Ibembe
Between November 15 and 18 this year, the International Conference on family planning, research and best practices will be held in Uganda. Experts will converge at Speke Resort Munyonyo to review actions towards different aspects of family planning. This will be a landmark event because family planning is a matter of life and death.
On average, every Ugandan woman gives birth to about seven children in her lifetime. Given the current rate of growth, 1 million more people are being added to the population each year.
Uganda’s population is projected to reach 60 million by 2030. This has grave implications on the social and political stability levels of crime, disease and poverty. Given the current scenario, Uganda would have to increase its entire infrastructure for health, education, housing, food production, and energy by two times just to maintain today’s standards of living.
However, do we have the means to do so? As more and more people are born and eventually move from the rural to urban settings in search of work and employment that is hard to find, more slums and shanty dwellings will come up in our towns and cities. And many of these people will inevitably resort to crime, drug addiction and prostitution. In addition, diseases such as cholera, malaria and dysentery become intimate neighbours in such scenarios.
Countless numbers continue to succumb to a short, miserable and worthless life on earth. For many people in this country, therefore, planning the number of people one can support vis-vis one’s resources can be a matter of life and death.
Addressing the need for family planning services would help Uganda significantly reduce the costs of attaining universal primary education, help reduce childhood deaths, improve maternal health, promote environmental sustainability and help combat diseases.
Trying to address the needs of a fast growing population is like shooting a fast moving target. As we await the deliberations from the Munyonyo conference, our politicians and policy makers, have a choice; bequeathing future generations a legacy of poverty, or adequately plan for the future — and family planning is a potent weapon in this.
The writer is the national programme manager Reproductive Health Uganda
Between November 15 and 18 this year, the International Conference on family planning, research and best practices will be held in Uganda. Experts will converge at Speke Resort Munyonyo to review actions towards different aspects of family planning. This will be a landmark event because family planning is a matter of life and death.
On average, every Ugandan woman gives birth to about seven children in her lifetime. Given the current rate of growth, 1 million more people are being added to the population each year.
Uganda’s population is projected to reach 60 million by 2030. This has grave implications on the social and political stability levels of crime, disease and poverty. Given the current scenario, Uganda would have to increase its entire infrastructure for health, education, housing, food production, and energy by two times just to maintain today’s standards of living.
However, do we have the means to do so? As more and more people are born and eventually move from the rural to urban settings in search of work and employment that is hard to find, more slums and shanty dwellings will come up in our towns and cities. And many of these people will inevitably resort to crime, drug addiction and prostitution. In addition, diseases such as cholera, malaria and dysentery become intimate neighbours in such scenarios.
Countless numbers continue to succumb to a short, miserable and worthless life on earth. For many people in this country, therefore, planning the number of people one can support vis-vis one’s resources can be a matter of life and death.
Addressing the need for family planning services would help Uganda significantly reduce the costs of attaining universal primary education, help reduce childhood deaths, improve maternal health, promote environmental sustainability and help combat diseases.
Trying to address the needs of a fast growing population is like shooting a fast moving target. As we await the deliberations from the Munyonyo conference, our politicians and policy makers, have a choice; bequeathing future generations a legacy of poverty, or adequately plan for the future — and family planning is a potent weapon in this.
The writer is the national programme manager Reproductive Health Uganda