Family planning tames biting poverty in Bukedi

A file photo of a family. illage Health Teams (VHT) in Bukedi Sub-region have embarked on sensitising locals about family planning in a bid to improve their welfare.
 

What you need to know:

  • On average, a family in Butaleja has about 10 children, which has contributed to the high poverty rates

Village Health Teams (VHT) in Bukedi Sub-region have embarked on sensitising locals about family planning in a bid to improve their welfare.
On average, a family in Butaleja has about 10 children, which has contributed to the high poverty rates.

The VHTs have a mandate to encourage locals to embrace family planning methods.
Under a Shs3b programme initiated by Reproductive Health Uganda, a non-profit organisation, whenever a VHT member convinces a person to embrace family planning, they are given an incentive.

For each short-term family planning method, a VHT member receives Shs2,600 while for permanent and long-term methods referred, the member receives Shs5,700.
Family planning is the practice  that helps couples and individuals decide if and when to have children.
Ms Betty Isiko, a senior project manager at Reproductive Health Uganda, said 26,179 locals have so far been enrolled to the programme, which will run for three years.

“We have managed to reach young women and men with a total of 2,590 for short methods and 23,163 long-acting reversible contraceptive methods for family planning. Another 426 are on permanent methods,” she said
VHTs provide counselling services and also enroll more users of family planning methods. 
 “The pregnancies that are unplanned in Bukedi region are higher among younger school going girls than among married women, we have 50–54 percent of the women having unplanned births in the health centres caused by unplanned pregnancies,” Mr Stephen Nakweyi, the Butaleja District health officer, said.
Mr Michael Higenyi, the Butaleja District chairperson, applauded the programme, saying many families are failing to meet the needs of their dependants.

“The poverty eating up Butaleja is as a result of failure to embrace family planning. People don’t have enough provision for their families yet they are continuing to have more children,” he said.
Ms Scovia Atim, a VHT member attached to Kwapa Health Centre III, said she has introduced about 500 locals to family planning. 
Ms Esther Namusisi, another VHT member attached to Busitema Health Centre III, said the programme has led to the reduction in child marriages and teenage pregnancies.
“Many young children have been enrolled onto family planning methods and this has kept them free from unwanted pregnancies hence making them stay at school,” she said.

Adding: “The programme has also reduced domestic violence in homes. The men used to beat their wives for using family planning but now, they have been sensitised and appreciate the importance of family planning.”
In 2017, Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) report indicated that Busoga and Bukedi were poorest regions in the country as number of poor people in the rural areas increased to 10 million from 6.7 million in 2013.