Government has indicated the country is on course to meet the family planning 2020 commitments aimed at increasing the uptake of contraceptive use in the country as a tool to control the rapid population growth by next year.
Initially made in 2012, the commitments were revised two years back to reduce the unmet need for family planning to 10 per cent and increase the modern contraceptive prevalence rate among all women to 50 per cent by 2020
Dr Betty Nakazzi Kyaddondo, the director of Family Health at the National Population Council (NPC), said: “The rate at which we are moving is good enough. We are happy there is progress.”
However, although the country is progressing well in the implementation, it will not be able to meet its targets within the next five months remaining to the deadline because the set targets were over ambitious, according to Dr Kyaddondo.
“We were sure we would increase the modern contraceptive to 50 per cent, but no country has moved or almost doubled in those few years. So we were over ambitious,” Dr Kyaddondo indicated.
For example, although the country had made a commitment to achieve 50 per cent increase in uptake of contraceptives by 2020, it stands at approximately 38 per cent according to NPC. Similarly, it has not met the $5million (about Shs18b) for family planning.
She pointed out inadequate funding and the failure to reach most of the adolescent girls who have not been supported to use contraceptives and yet when they begin engaging in sex, they get pregnant and continue frequently.
Dr Kyaddondo was yesterday speaking at a meeting organised by, Faith for Family Health initiative, a non-government organisation, with religious leaders yesterday to assess the achievements of FP2020 through strengthening interfaith collaboration for better health and well being.
APPEAL
Bishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu of Mityana Diocese recommended the use of both natural and modern family planning methods because it is God who guided mankind to come up with those preventions to help women prepare or plan very well. “I want to call upon other religious leaders to read the scriptures very well that we may not agree with the modern methods, but you can invite people and teach about natural methods. You need to listen to others to see how you can save lives,” Bishop Kaziimba said.
