Uganda Family Planning Advocacy Group Launched

DSW Uganda in partnership with the National Population Council organised a meeting to launch the the Family Planning Advocacy Group. The breakfast meeting which was attended by Members of Parliament, District Health Officers, District Health Educators, Representatives from Civil Society Organisations, Journalist and other stakeholders took place at Imperial Royale hotel in Kampala on 17th August 2016.

The Family Planning Group was created to advocate for improved health policies; advocate for more budgetary allocation at national and local levels, more efficient use of those resources and improved transparency and accountability. The group will in addition contribute to influencing decision making processes; exposing leakages and bottlenecks and reduce wastage in Family Planing Health expenditure.

Group Photo of the Family Planning Advocacy Group. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Group Photo of the Family Planning Advocacy Group. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Ms. Diana Tibesigwa, Advocacy Officer DSW Uganda explaining the Family Planning Situation at district level. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Dr. Betty Kyadondo, Head of Family Planning Department at the National Population Secretariat. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Members of Parliament. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Dr. Dinah Nakiganda, Acting Assistant Commissioner Reproductive Health-Ministry of Health. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Dr. Moses Muwonge, Executive Director SAMASHA. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Mr. Herbert Mona, Country Director DSW Uganda. Photo by Esther Namirimu

By Esther Namirimu| Communications Officer DSW Uganda

DSW conducts sessions on Sexual Reproductive Health at Pride Day and Boarding School

16th August 2016, DSW together with Mityana Youth Champions and Muvubuuka Agunjunsee Youth Club visited Pride Day and Boarding Secondary School  in Mityana to conduct Sexual Reproductive Health(SRHR) sessions on family planning, teenage pregnancy, STIs and HIV, Growth and Development and life skills. The team was also joined by the District Health Focal Person, Senior Health Worker and District Health Educator. About 200 students benefited from the SRHR sessions; they were divided into six groups. Judging from the questions asked by students, the facilitators released that there was a big information gap on SRHR and advised students to visit Youth centers for more information about reproductive health and sexuality.

Ms. Joyce Ampumuza, Youth Truck Project Officer at DSW Orienting students about SRHR. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Sister Kalule, Senior Health Worker Mityana District conducting a session of teenage pregnancy. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Mr. Donvan Kaddu, Youth Champion conducting a session on STIs. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Female students touched by a story of 21 year old Carol who is a mother of five. The story was being told by Ms. Phiona Naigaga, Project Officer of GeNext. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Student reads a leaflet about SRHR. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Ms. Phiona Naigaga, Project Officer Genext conducting a session on teenage preganancy. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Ms. Joyce Ampumuza, Project Officer Youth Truck, illustrating some of the ways one can get infected with STIs and HIV. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Ms. Flavia Mukungu conducting a session of life skills. Photo by Esther Namirimu

By Esther Namirimu| Communications Officer

DSW facilitates Tororo District Health Facility Work Plan and Budgeting Workshop

By Esther Namirimu

DSW joined hands with Tororo district local government to facilitate health facility work plan and budgeting workshop. The workshop took place at Tororo hospital and it was attended by 45 health facility in-charges.DSW is supported the planning process, but also emphasized that health in-charges include Family Planning on their work plans. 

 

Diana Tibesigwa, Advocacy Officer DSW giving an overview of SHAPE project. Photo By Esther Namirimu

 DSW is not new in Tororo, we have a project called Youth to Youth and we also successfully implemented a project called Women and Girls Empowerment (WOGE). However we are going to implement a three year project called Securing Health through Advocacy and People’s Empowerment (SHAPE). 

Ms. Diana Tibesigwa, Advocacy Officer of DSW informed the participants about DSW planned activities for the district.  "We are here to ensure that health facilities consciously plan for their health facilities," she said. 

DSW has trained both youth and community champions who will help us to advocate for family planing usage so that we address the unmet need. We have 10 champions in each district. and we are going to develop Information Education Communication materials to ease their work. We shall be organizing meetings with the health department so that we discuss and solve issues of medicines supplies and management.

Diana Tibesigwa, Advocacy Officer DSW. Photo By Esther Namirimu

Mr. Felix Owino, Tororo District Senior Planner taking In-charges through the planning process. Photo By Esther Namirimu

Dr. Okumu, District Health Officer of Tororo District making a presentation about Vision 2040. Photo By Esther Namirimu

Mr. Felix Owino. Photo By Esther Namirimu

DSW Supports Mityana District Health Facility In-charges to Develop Health Facility Work Plans.

By Esther Namirimu

DSW organised a workshop at Mityana district headquarters to support health facility in-charges to develop health facility work plans. DSW emphasised that some priority areas like family planning, maternal health, child days plus, counseling and guidance, community outreaches, immunization should be given priority.

During the planning exercise, Mr. Mono Denis- District Health Educator of Mityana District applauded DSW for facilitating the budget writing activity and advised participants to revise their previous work plans. 

 The district health department gave each health facility a work plan to cost it before it could be approved that this time health workers are not supposed to spend the money without following the work plan. 

Chief Administrative Officer of Mityana district gave opening remarks and thanked DSW for organising the workshop. Photo by Esther Namirimu

 Ms. Diana Tibesigwa, Advocacy Officer of DSW told participants that, "we understand and know that PHC funding is very small but we would like to see Family Planning considered on your work plans as priorities. You can put Family Planning in unfunded priorities and this might make donors consider funding Family Planning in your areas. 

Mr. Denis Mono, District Health Educator guiding health workers on how to develop a work plan. Photo By Esther Namirimu

Health facility in charges of Maanyi, Ssekanyonyi, Malangala through Mr. Mono helped us identify champions. DSW trained them and they were told to come and give you feedback to health facility in-charges because they will be supporting their work. The champions already sent their work plans and budgets, DSW is going to improve them so that they start working in July.

Ms. Tibesigwa asked Health In-charges to give champions all the necessary support and also ensure that they finish health facility work plans and hand them in. DSW wants to work with health in charges and see how we can address the challenge of the unmet need in family planning. DSW is planning to have quarterly review meetings with health in-charges and will continue engaging with them until 2018 when the project ends.

Mr. Denis Mono Mityana District Health Educator. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Health workers developing a work plan. Photo by Esther Namirimu

Mityana district health center III In-charges developing health facility work plan. Photo By Esther Namirimu

Work Plan for Health Center II's developed by Mityana district health facility in-charges. Photo By Esther Namirimu

Mityana District Health Facility In-charges developing health facility work plans. Photo By Esther Namirimu

DSW supports Mukono District Local Government to launch Maternal and Child Health/Family Planning Technical Working Group.

Story by Esther Namirimu

DSW organized a workshop to support the Local Government and Health In-charges in developing the  Maternal and Child Health/Family Planning Technical Working Group(TWG). DSW is collaborating with Mukono district local government and the district health officer’s office to improve on the health services in Mukono. Since DSW is implementing a project entitled, “Securing Health through Advocacy and People’s Empowerment (SHAPE) in Mukono, it is advocating for improved and increased funding to address the unmet need in family planning. 

Dr. Elly Tumushabe, District Health Officer of Mukono district thanked  DSW for supporting the development of the TWG and also thanked participants for turning up. “We are gathered to witness the launching of the Technical Working Group for MCH /FP. 

Dr. Elly Tumushabe, Chief Admistrative Officer of Mukono District thanked DSW for the support given towards developing and launching the MCH/FP TWG. Photo By Esther Namirimu.

Mukono has not been having the TWG but the Local Government leaders believe that this group has been existing on paper but not practical. This TWG will be great platform to address issues concerning Mother Child Health /Family Planning.  We are creating this platform courtesy of DSW Uganda and we are very grateful for bringing in more energy to district” he said. 

Dr. Elly Tumushabe, District Health Officer talking about advantages of having a TWG for Maternal, Child Health and Family Planning. Photo By Esther Namirimu

Dr. Proscovia Namuwenge, Reproductive Health (RMNCAH) Focal Central Region Performance Monitoring Team. Photo By Esther Namirimu

Dr. Proscovia Namuwenge,making a presentation on the new Sharpened Plan. Photo By Esther Namirimu

Mr. Hosea Mukose Chief Administrative Officer of Mukono District addressing participants. Photo By Esther Namirimu