Summary:
- Sam Arinaitwe, LC.3 Chairperson of Central Division in Kabale Municipality, noted that politicians have avoided supporting family planning methods and sexuality education due to fear of backlash from religious leaders who openly oppose these initiatives.
KABALE: A section of stakeholders from Civil Society Organizations, politicians, and the medical fraternity have criticized religious leaders for undermining campaigns aimed at reducing the high rate of teenage pregnancies in Uganda.
This criticism emerged on Friday during the Kigezi Regional Dialogue on Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, organized by the Non-Governmental Organization Local Sustainable Communities (LOSCO) at White Horse Inn, Kabale. During the dialogue, Kabale District Health Officer Dr. Gilbert Mateeka highlighted that the national teenage pregnancy rate has remained between 23% and 24% for the past 3-4 years, with Kabale District alone reporting an average of 1,300 teenage pregnancies annually. He noted that many of these girls drop out of school to become mothers, while others die during childbirth or due to complications from unsafe abortions.
Dr. Mateeka emphasized that while some government officials and religious leaders focus on the legal and moral issues, health service providers are left to handle the severe consequences of teenage pregnancies, including miscarriages, abortions, and complications during childbirth.
Albert Taremwa, Executive Director of LOSCO, expressed disappointment at Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa’s opposition to a government policy approving the use of contraceptives among sexually active teenagers. Sam Arinaitwe, LC.3 Chairperson of Central Division in Kabale Municipality, noted that politicians have avoided supporting family planning methods and sexuality education due to fear of backlash from religious leaders who openly oppose these initiatives.
Dr. Godfrey Bampabwiire, In-Charge of Muko Health Centre IV in Rubanda District, shared that he had performed caesarean sections on three girls who gave birth before their first menstrual periods within a span of seven months. He argued that teenage pregnancies should be viewed not only as cultural, legal, or moral issues but also as threats to the lives and futures of the affected teenagers.
CUE IN DR. BAMPABWIIRE….ON TEENAGE PREGNANCIES……..ENG//
SP Ronald Mutungi, Kigezi Regional Police Legal and Human Rights Officer, encouraged CSOs to continue promoting measures to reduce teenage pregnancies despite interference from religious and cultural leaders. He recounted his experience in eradicating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the Sipi Region before his transfer to Kigezi.
CUE IN SP MUTUNGI…..ON TEENAGE PREGNANCES……..ENG//
Martin Niwataho, Kabale District Assistant RDC, opposed the use of contraceptives for young girls due to potential future health complications such as infertility. However, he supported the use of condoms, asserting that they are safe.
CUE IN RDC NIWATAHO….ON TEENAGERS…….ENG//
In contrast, Drake Mutahakana, Secretary for Education of the Diocese of Kigezi, and Sheikh Abdul Hasib Sekalema, Head of Sharia at Kabale Muslim District Council, maintained that promoting the use of condoms or other contraceptives would encourage immorality among teenagers. They advocated for prioritizing messages of abstinence from fornication as the primary method to reduce teenage pregnancies.
