Focus on economic welfare to control births, Mayiga tells social workers
Prime Minister Buganda Kingdom Mr Charles Peter Mayiga. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Mr Peter Mayiga says organisations should rethink economic programmes that create many opportunities.
The prime minister of Buganda Kingdom, Mr Charles Peter Mayiga, has asked leaders and social workers to focus on income-generation at family level to control birth rates.
“When we initiate economic programmes that benefit people in the villages, I believe the parents will not have much time to produce many children,” Mr Mayiga said while meeting leaders of Population Media Centre, a charity organisation at the weekend.
The organisation is seeking to partner with the Buganda on humanitarian development campaigns.
Mr Mayiga said since economic activities are exhaustive, people will not engage in acts leading to uncontrolled births.
“Economic activities help people to get the necessary amenities needed at home. Somebody with a reasonable income would use time on television and radio and other forms of entertainment, which takes away the time for bed matters and because of reduced bed time, people will only give birth to a reasonable number of children they can take care of,” he said.
The Katikkiro advised organisations involved in promoting social welfare to revisit their strategies to help people earn income to enable them take their children to school and access medical care, among other basic necessities.
Mr Mayiga also said organisations should rethink economic programmes that create many opportunities.
“Somebody who earns some income can take care of several children but other people cannot take care of even two children. So the best way to deal with fertility issues is to ensure that people are meaningfully employed or involved in economic activities,” he said.
Mr Patrick Lubowa, the country representative of Population Media Centre, described Mr Mayiga’s advice as a contribution towards their work as they seek to promote peoples’ welfare.
Programmes
“As an organisation, our programmes are to reduce fertility rate and sexual reproductive outcomes focusing on producing children on family planning and birth controls.
We also focus on nutrition, reducing domestic violence and youth sexual reproductive health,” Mr Lubowa said.
He said they are seeking to partner with the Mengo administration to promote behavioural change.
“We believe in continued sensitisation of the people on how to involve in productive activities and through research so that we are able to come up with messages that can help sensitise the people,” Mr Lubowa said.
