Flavia Nakagwa
18 March 2008
Kampala — Uganda has to meet her reproductive health needs and promote population development to address poverty, a health official has said.
According to Dr. Jotham Musinguzi, the regional director of Partners in Population and Development, poor reproductive health conditions and high birth rates greatly affect the development of a country.
"Unless women are able to achieve full control of their reproduction, it will be nearly impossible to meet millennium development goals like reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and poverty."
Opening the Eastern Africa Reproductive Health Network (EARHN) workshop at Protea Hotel in Kampala, Musinguzi said countries in the region had highlighted a strategic plan to boost reproductive health matters.
EARHN is an initiative of government ministries addressing population, reproductive health and development in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Musinguzi said abject poverty had affected many people and little was being done to avert the situation.
"Maternal mortality rate is high in Uganda. It is important for political leaders to be engaged in enlisting their commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights," he said.
He decried the health workers' bad attitude towards expectant mothers.
"We need to work together as a community. Our health system is still very weak and there is great need for equipment and supplies in medical centres."
Dr. Betty Kyaddondo, the head of the Population Secretariat, said it was important to promote good sexual reproductive health policies and programmes in East Africa.
"We want to see a region free of reproductive health burdens."
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