Kampala, 30th September 2014:- The World Health Organization (WHO) with funding from SIDA donated material to be used in strengthening capacity for youth friendly service provision as well as HIV prevention in Uganda. This was done at the WHO country office premises.

 The items which included LED televisions, computers and DVD players and indoor games estimated at USD 34,848, was received by Dr. Collins Tusingwire, Assistant Commissioner for Reproductive Health, on behalf of Ministry of Health. The items will be used to reach the youth, both in and out of schools, through comprehensive sexuality education that could empower young people.

 While handing over, Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu, the  WHO Country Representative, said “These items are vital in strengthening capacity for delivery of youth friendly services to benefit interventions related to Adolescent, Maternal and Child Health as well as HIV prevention”.

 Dr. Alemu thanked the Ministry of Health for the leadership it demonstrates and creating enabling environment for health partners to operate in the area of RMNCH. “Your efforts do not go unnoticed and we commend you for that”, he said.

 Dr. Tusingwire Collins who received the items on behalf of the ministry thanked WHO for the support and for being reliable partner in Adolescent health, Maternal Health and the fight against HIV/AIDS. He said that WHO’s presence had had such a great impact and it’s continuous assistance is vital.

Reproductive health indicators are slowly improving in Uganda and HIV/AIDS, Adolescent health and maternal health are of great concern.

 The 2011 Demographic Survey (UDHS) puts the Maternal Mortality ratio at 438 per 100,000 live births. Worth noting is that for every maternal death, 20 more suffer from pregnancy and delivery related problems. There is also a backlog of 200,000 cases of obstetric fistula. While adolescent pregnancy rate is at 24% and adolescents contribute 40% of maternal deaths.

 It was also noted that sexuality education is not fully integrated in the secondary school curricular and extra-curricular activities. Consequently, young people approach adulthood faced with conflicting and confusing information on sexuality and without the necessary life skills to make informed decisions about their health and well being. Furthermore health facilities were also seen not to have integrated quality youth friendly health services to serve young people for example by providing their own separate and adequate space and well trained staff who understand young people and have positive views on their sexuality.

 Millennium Development Goal five which looks at improving maternal health aims at preventing 33 million unwanted pregnancies between 2011 and 2015 and to save the lives of women who are at risk of dying of complications during pregnancy and childbirth, including unsafe abortion.

 This will be through strengthening health systems, monitoring and evaluating the burden of maternal and newborn ill-health, Coordinating research, with wide-scale application, that focuses on improving maternal health in pregnancy and during and after childbirth among others.

  Millennium Development Goal six which looks at combating combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases highlights  prevention of  HIV infections – helping to change behaviour to reduce HIV risks through increasing access to prevention commodities; supporting programs for prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV; promoting safe blood supplies and prevention of HIV transmission in health care settings; assessing new prevention technologies.

 In a 2007 resolution, the World Health Assembly called for a 75% reduction in the global malaria burden by 2015.

To fulfill these resolution WHO has continued to support government programs that focus on Maternal and Child Health as well as reduction of the spread of HIV/AIDS among the youth.