New Releases

Linked together in a complex cycle of causes and consequences, sexual and reproductive ill health including HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) remain major public health concerns for Uganda. With one of the world’s highest total fertility rates (TFR) at 5.4, Uganda has one of the youngest and most rapidly growing populations. Integrating Sexual and Reproductive health and Rights and SGBV services can provide a platform for reaching young people and women with HIV prevention, care, and treatment interventions.

Not so long ago, most people had large families: five children, on average. Where once there was one global fertility rate, today there are many, with differences wider than at any point in human history.

The population of Uganda is  currently  projected  at  about  39  million  people  and  it  is  expected  to  double  in  the  next  20 years. Currently Uganda has one of the youngest and most rapidly growing population in world, with the population aged 15 years below constituting more than half the total population.   The  Country  is  therefore,  at  a  critical  and  defining  moment  because  the  most  important  demographic issue  for  Uganda is  related  to  the  age  structure  rather  the  overall  size  of  its  population.  Changes  in  the age structure of the population may bring about a demographic dividend that can be captured to produce a  virtuous  cycle  of  economic  growth  with  right  policy  framework.  

Uganda adopted and has aligned its sustainable development goals to the Global 2030 Agenda, which call for action to address inequalities and inequities in opportunity, wealth and power. Inequity impedes economic growth, increases poverty, and undermines social cohesion and voice. The notion of leaving no one behind seeks to address root causes of chronic poverty and inequitable access to services.  In Uganda’s development history, Karamoja region remains the least socially and economically developed, with 61 percent of the total population of 1.2 million living in poverty. In light of the equity gaps in the Karamoja region, there is need to consistently and collaboratively explore the policy priorities to achieve equity.