ALEBTONG, 11 JULY 2023, UNFPA Uganda joined the rest of the world to commemorate World Population Day under the global theme: “Unleashing the Power of Gender Equality: Lifting the Voices of Women and Girls to Unlock our World’s Infinite Possibilities.”
In Uganda, the event was celebrated under the national theme: “Prioritize Education: prevent school dropouts and increase household incomes”.
This year's commemoration was held in the Alebtong district and focused on raising awareness and addressing issues related to teen pregnancy and high rates of school dropout in Uganda.
The Youth during the Pre-World Population Day Dialogue in Alebtong district
The event, which was chaired by the Vice President of Uganda her Excellency Jessica Alupo, who represented President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, brought together government officials from Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), National Population Council (NPC), Education Science and Technology, Social Welfare, the National Youth Commission and partners including Marie Stopes, Naguru Teenage Pregnancy Information Centre, Representatives from the Embassy of Netherlands and UNFPA staff among others.
President Museveni stated in a speech read for him by Vice President Jessica Alupo that the theme of World Population Day 2023 is in line with the priorities of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, which are to ensure education for all children, good health for all people, and jobs and wealth for all Ugandans.
"The population must be educated and highly skilled, healthy, and embrace the mode of working for money in the four sectors of commercial agriculture, industries, services and ICT," Museveni remarked in his speech.
During the commemoration, UNFPA Country Representative Dr. Mary Otieno emphasized that, while gender parity has been achieved at the lower primary level, rates of dropout remain at the higher secondary schooling levels.
Dr. Otieno called upon leaders and parents to be bold and innovative to identify transformation that is a game changer to address teenage pregnancy, which has led to the high rates of school dropouts in the Lango sub region.
According to Dr. Otieno, early school dropout in the late primary and early secondary school years prevents many females from acquiring marketable skills and forming careers, thereby transforming the country's vast human resource into human capital.
"This makes it more difficult for the country to improve livelihoods and stay on track in order to harness the demographic dividend and, as a result, achieve Uganda's Vision 2040," she said.
She also underscored that leaders should make efforts to invest in young people, who make up the majority of the population, so that they are empowered and able to care for themselves and their families.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Uganda, Dr. Karin Boven, who was represented by Ms. Judith Adokorach, the Policy Officer at the Dutch Embassy, stated in her speech that World Population Day is an opportunity to reflect and restrategize on the population challenges affecting the nation's social and economic development. She noted that the EU member states stand in solidarity with Uganda on World Population Day this year.
In Her remarks, the Ambassador said that the European Union commends Uganda for advancing education rights for all despite the challenges of providing accessible education to children and adolescents in the hard-to-reach areas.
Teenage pregnancy in the Lango sub region stands at 28%, which is higher than the national average of 25%. According to local media reports, in 2021, the Lango sub region recorded 23,000 teen pregnancies.
UNFPA stands with the 45.6 million Ugandans in their work to claim their rights and make their own choices, in order to shape a future that brings equality and prosperity to everyone.
- Written by Emmanete Nabwire
