Teenage pregnancies: Buganda queen urges collective effort to avert crisis

May 30, 2015

The Nnabagereka has expressed concern over the rising number of teenage pregnancies in Masaka district


By Hanipher Namuwonge

MASAKA - The Queen of Buganda kingdom has expressed concern over the rising number of teenage pregnancies in Masaka district despite several interventions to avert the crisis.

Nnabagereka Sylvia Nagginda said many children have dropped out of school due to early conception brought about by early initiation into sexual activity.

She was addressing locals at Kako playground in Masaka district at the official opening of a reproductive health camp.

She called for collective effort by stakeholders to save the children.

In numbers

According to the population secretariat, of the 1.2 million pregnancies recorded in Uganda annually, 25 percent are teenage pregnancies.

Dr. Stuart Musisi, the Masaka district health officer, recorded 135 teenage pregnancies out of the 1000 annually which account for the bulk of unwanted pregnancies that end up in unintended births or abortion.

He explained that such figures make Uganda one of the countries with the highest rate of teenage pregnancies on the globe.

The Uganda Demographic survey 2011 recorded that about 14 percent of young women and 16 percent of young men had their first sexual encounter before the age of 15 years while 57 percent of young women had their encounter before the age of 18.

Family planning key

 

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Demonstrating to students how to use a female condom during the health camp. (Credit: Hanipher Namuwonge)


Basing on the alarming figures, the Nnabageraka called on religious leaders to join the campaign so as to save the lives of the young generation.

She said teenage pregnancies are a risk to other reproductive health diseases like cancer, HIV/AIDS and other related sexually transmitted diseases – and that something must be done urgently.

The monarch also emphasized the need for family planning methods to enable women and young people to control their reproductive choices.

According to her, the method is very effective as it gives girls and women the choice to decide whether, when and how many children they want to have.

She pointed out that the Nabagereka Development Fund, together with other NGOs, is on a campaign for all Ugandans to have access to quality family planning information, services and supplies, directed towards helping girls and women delay their first pregnancy.

Family planning liberates women and gives them space to participate in productive activities, she added.
 

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The Nnabagereka prepares to plant a tree at Kako Catholic Church in Masaka. (Credit: Hanipher Namuwonge)


The Nnabagereka however said the choice on the number of children lies in the hands of the couple. “We cannot force you on the number of children to have but it is upon the family to decide basing on your income.”

Cheaper controceptives

Imelda Nalubwama, a resident of Samaliya village, said although family planning is said to be smart, simple and extremely cost effective, very few women in the area can afford it due to poverty.

She underlined that men fail to provide money to go for the services hence resort to the more unreliable natural family planning, hence unwanted pregnancies in many such cases.

And her call was simple: make available cheaper contraceptives and other related methods which rural women can afford.

Meanwhile, Nathan Mwebembezi of Kawaala said it is time to put family planning at the forefront of reproductive health –  in order to save the lives of women that die during childbirth due to lack of spacing.

On his part, Dr. Musisi hailed the Nabagereka for her initiative, saying it targets the five-year development plan of the district that includes; decreasing maternal deaths, increasing antenatal attendance, use of permanent methods of family planning and decreasing risk pregnancies by providing family planning methods especially in the rural areas to mothers and the youths, plus encouraging women to attend postnatal sessions.

During the health camp, locals received free medication on common illnesses. There was also testing for HIV, cancer awareness, and male circumcision that were provided by specialists from Masaka Hospital, Kitovu Hospital and others.

 

 

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