The United
Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) has urged Ugandans to
practice planned sex to avoid unwanted pregnancies during the lockdown.
practice planned sex to avoid unwanted pregnancies during the lockdown.
While
receiving a Shs2.5b cash donation from the Royal Danish Embassy on
Thursday, Mr Alain Sibenaler, the UNFPA country representative, said
even before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the country was
facing a 30 per cent unmet need for family planning methods and the
lockdown has denied many Ugandans access to the methods and facilities.
“In
and around Kampala, we are using Safe Boda to deliver contraceptives.
Outside Kampala, we have started giving fuel and cash vouchers in health
centre IIIs so that district officials can pick and transport pregnant
mothers to access family planning services and deliver from health
centres,” Mr Sibenaler said.
Mr Sibenaler added that
pregnant women who need antenatal care are not sure whether it is safe
to go to health centres and those in abusive relationships are trapped
in homes.
He said it is important for health centres to
screen and test pregnant women with symptoms of Covid-19 disease and
those who test positive should be isolated and given specialised
attention to save both the mother and unborn babies.
While
handing over the donation, Mr Nicolaj Hejberg Petersen, the Danish
Ambassador to Uganda, said the additional grant is to enable UNFPA to
continue providing some of its critical sexual and reproductive health
services that have been challenged by Covid-19 crisis and can be done in
a safer and more protective way
“We read reports of health officers fearing to go to health
centres or seeing patients because they do not have protective gears.
Women have delivered their babies at home or on the way to hospital
because there is no transport,” he said.
The donation
will support sexual and reproductive health and rights programming in
northern region and West Nile. It will also bridge some of the gaps in
10 selected districts.
sotage@ug.nationmedia.com
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