EHS-COVID (490) Access to family planning information and services in Uganda during COVID-19

3 December, 2021

Extract below from the IntraHealth website and a comment from me. Full text here: https://www.intrahealth.org/vital/how-connect-young-ugandans-family-plan...

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In Uganda, COVID-19 related restrictions such as lockdowns and school closures led to pregnancies for over 90,000 girls under 18.

These statistics demonstrate how critical it is to help women of reproductive age make informed decisions regarding sexual relationships, contraceptive use, and reproductive health.

To do this, family planning services are key. IntraHealth International, through the USAID-funded Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services in Eastern Uganda (RHITES-E) project, works with the Uganda Ministry of Health to implement a comprehensive program in the eastern Uganda and Karamoja regions that offers clients services in family planning, HIV, and maternal, neonatal, and child health.

Here are six approaches the project uses during COVID-19 lockdowns to improve services for young women and girls:

Community youth-only dialogues...

Our team identified and trained youth champions who now promote the use of a Ministry of Health toll-free line and the Uganda Child Helpline for online counseling services for adolescents and youth. And a new WhatsApp group promotes sexual and reproductive health discussions by creating a safe space for young people to share experiences and ideas about teenage pregnancies and sexual and other forms of gender-based violence...

Community mobile clinics...

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, RHITES-E used family planning mobile clinics...

Civil society engagement...

The local organizations conducted youth-focused community dialogue meetings (by gender and age), home visits, and community sensitization meetings in eight local districts. These included family planning and HIV health education, dispelling myths and misconceptions, and emphasizing the importance of HIV testing. They also provided referrals for services at the nearest health facilities or outreach clinics if needed.

A role for cultural and traditional leaders...

RHITES-E worked with cultural and religious leaders to help them talk to youth about sexual and reproductive health services...

Client-centered approaches like these can bring services to the community and help more women and girls get the services they need—even during a pandemic.

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COMMENT (NPW): This approach looks commendable and embraces many of the recommendations that have been previously discussed on HIFA. Are you working in family planning or sexual and reproductive health? Does the above resonate with your experience? Is it implementable in your context, or are these kinds of services only available to limited numbers of people in the context of donor-supported projects?

Neil Pakenham-Walsh, HIFA Coordinator, neil@hifa.org www.hifa.org