New York, February 3, 2021 – The UNFPA Executive Board has approved the Ninth Government of Uganda/UNFPA Country Programme for the period 2021-2025, at a formal Annual Session of the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS held in New York. The UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Director, Dr. Julitta Onabanjo presented both Eswatini and Uganda Country Programme Documents at a virtual session in the presence of the Uganda Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Phillip Ochen Odida, the UNFPA Deputy Executive Director for Programmes, Ms. Diene Keita, who represented the UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Natalia Kanem, the UNFPA Representative in Uganda, Mr. Alain Sibenaler, the Director General, National Population Council, Dr. Jotham Musinguzi, among other dignitaries.
“Uganda’s focus is on reducing the unmet need for family planning by 15 per cent – strengthening national population data systems to address inequalities, and ensuring women and young people in marginalized communities, including in humanitarian settings, are empowered to make informed choices, and have access to functional and resilient health systems that offer quality rights based integrated SRH services as part of the broader Universal Health Coverage and leave no one behind efforts,” said Dr. Onabanjo, during her submission to the Executive Board.
Uganda’s Ninth Country Programme is aligned with UNFPA’s three transformative global goals: zero maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero tolerance to gender-based violence and all harmful practices, including child marriage and female genital mutilation, as well as with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2021 / 2025) that was launched by H.E. President Yoweri Museveni in September 2020.
Ambassador Odida noted that Uganda has one of the fastest growing and one of the youngest populations in the world, and therefore, through the proposed Country Programme, UNFPA, together with the UN family will support decision and policy makers at all levels to use population data and evidence for equitable planning and increased budgeting for human security and social protection.
“We welcome the strategic choice made by UNFPA in Uganda to work closer to, with and through the beneficiaries and their communities, ensuring that UNFPA’s three global goals are delivered through an integrated package of rights for women, girls and youth,” said Ambassador Odida.
Noting that COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of building resilient health delivery systems and resilient communities - at the heart of which are millions of teenage girls, Dr. Onabanjo expressed UNFPA’s gratitude for the longstanding partnerships with the Government of Uganda to advance sexual reproductive health and rights.
See the full Ninth Government of Uganda/UNFPA Country Programme for the period 2021-2025 here.
