KAMPALA: On June 28, UNFPA Uganda convened a breakfast meeting with the Uganda Women Parliamentarians Association (UWOPA) to enable Parliamentarians to appreciate the importance of increasing provision and access to adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights services and commodities in Uganda.

In her opening remarks, UNFPA Uganda Representative Ms. Gift Malunga urged the Parliamentarians to use their legislation, budget approval, oversight, and legislation roles to ensure young people access sexual and reproductive health and rights information and services and achieve their full potential.

“As Members of Parliament, you can make a difference through budgetary allocation for sexual and reproductive health services and progressive laws that are conducive to young people,” Ms. Malunga said.

“Young people face a lot of sexual and reproductive health challenges including access to services and information including lack of contraceptives, child marriage, sexually transmitted infections including HIV and unsafe abortions. But the elephant in the room is teenage pregnancy,” Ms. Malunga said.

The Representative said for decades the prevalence of teenage pregnancy has stagnated at 24 percent and this creates the impression that we are not doing something right. She called for recommitments to address adolescent sexual and reproductive health challenges through a multi-pronged approach, factoring in gender and cultural norms and practices that act as barriers to access.

“This is the time to change course. We need to involve and engage the young people in our programming and listen to what they have to say,” she said.

Member of Parliament (Aruu County), Hon. Santa Akot said to address these challenges, mindset change is very critical for parents to be able to talk about sexual and reproductive health, adding that age-appropriate SRH information should also be taught in schools.

Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission Hon. Safia Nalule said since the home is the first social institution, interventions should recognize this as a way of providing a solid foundation for healthy sexual and reproductive health for adolescents and young people.

At the end of the meeting, the Parliamentarians committed to using every opportunity to voice and advocate for budget allocations and legislation that support the advancement of sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescents and young people.

The Parliamentarians also committed to addressing menstrual hygiene and adolescents and young people with disabilities who cannot access sexual and reproductive health services and information.

• Written by Evelyn Matsamura Kiapi