In partnership with the government of Uganda, UNFPA Uganda launched a Family Planning Investment Case at the end of a two-day National Conference on Family Planning. The Conference that ran from September 26 to 27 2017 was organised by the Ministry of Health with support from UNFPA. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) in Uganda also supported the event held under the theme Universal access to family planning for healthier and empowered communities; towards social and economic development.

The State Minister for Primary Healthcare Dr. Joyce Kaduccu Moriku joined UNFPA Uganda Representative Mr. Alain Sibenaler and the Director General of the National Population Council Dr. Jotham Musinguzi to officially launch the Family Planning Investment Case. The policy document provides concrete evidence of the benefits of family planning, demonstrating that Family Planning has benefits at both micro and macro levels. 

“This is the first investment case on family planning in Uganda; it provides tangible evidence that investing in family planning saves lives and money," said   Mr. Sibenaler.

According to data contained in the Investment Case, if Uganda invests in supporting more people to use family planning, especially long acting and reversible methods such as implants, the country would be able to meet its goal of increasing modern contraceptive use to 50% by the year 2020. This would in turn save the lives of more than 8,900 mothers and 101,000 children and avert more than 4.3 million unintended pregnancies.

The Investment Case was developed by UNFPA in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the National Population Council and Partners in Population and Development, using the IMPACTNOW tool, developed by the USAID-supported Health Policy Project. 

In his remarks at the closing of the conference, Mr. Sibenaler commended Uganda for making progress in fulfilling its commitments on family planning and called for even more dedicated efforts based on the new evidence and recommendations contained in the Investment Case.

“Uganda has got everything it takes to achieve its Family Planning targets. For this to happen there must be a more deliberate and sustained effort by government to make more investments in family planning, beyond what is already being done,” he said.  “Until we reach every woman, man, boy and girl who requires information and services our job cannot be complete”.

At the same event, Dr. Moriku handed over an award to Mr.  Sibenaler, in recognition of UNFPA’s support to family planning and sexual and reproductive health services. “We are proud of you. You’ve done a lot, not only on family planning but in promoting education and other aspects of health,” Dr. Moriku said.

She also paid tribute to Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, UNFPA’s former Executive Director, describing him as a “great family Planning advocate”.

By Martha Songa