Residents of the Nakiwogo landing site in Entebbe municipality, Wakiso district, have expressed concerns over the scarcity of sexual and reproductive health commodities, especially condoms and family planning services, which has resulted in high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies on the rise.
Civil society organizations and NGOs in the health sector have advised the government to prioritize domestic financing and appeals to policymakers to adjust the health budget as a way of offering access to commodities to marginalized groups to address the existing burden.
This was revealed during the Family Medical Point outreach in Nakiwogo aimed at offering free medical services to the fishing community and sensitizing the fishers on how to control and avoid HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted.
Nakiwogo landing site is one of the busiest landing sites with a high population due to its strategic location which acts as the main route to Kalangala and other island communities on Lake Victoria. The fishing community remains vulnerable to several challenges which come with increasing numbers of people coming from different landing sites.
According to Scovia Komugisha, the sex worker at Nakiwogo, the landing site is grappling with access to sexual and reproductive commodities, which include condoms and family planning services, which has resulted in high rates of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies.
During the Family Medical Point free medical camp which aimed at raising awareness about sexual and reproductive health rights, it was discovered that HIV prevalence remains alarmingly high at 37% among sexual workers at the landing site.
Polyne Nabwire, the Programs Director at Family Medical Point Abaita Ababiri, advised the government to adjust the health budget and prioritize domestic financing to address the exciting challenges to enable people to have access to reproductive health services amidst the global health crisis.
The Global Gag rule has cast a shadow over SRHR services in Uganda, initially reinstated and expanded during US President Donald Trump’s Administration, which resulted in severe funding cuts for organizations that provided comprehensive healthcare.
A 2023 report by the Center for Health and gender equity highlighted that when the global gag rule was previously in effect, many clinics in Uganda shut down, forcing women and girls to resort to unsafe abortion methods.
Meanwhile, Family Medical Point continues to mitigate the existing gaps despite the limited resources; access to life-saving SRHR services will remain out of reach for many vulnerable. Populations.However, the public is urged to be mindful of their lives and remain faithful to their partners since HIV is still on the rise even though clinics are set to close, which may put many lives at high risk.
About FMP
Family Medical Point (FMP) is a not-for-profit organization that advocates, promotes and provides right-based comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services to young people, women, sexual minorities, marginalized, hard-to-reach and forgotten communities.
FMP operates in urban, pre-urban, and slum areas of Uganda, with a strong presence in fishing communities such as Nakiwogo, Kigungu, Kasenyi, and Guuda. These locations are characterized by limited access to SRH services and high rates of unsafe abortion, teenage pregnancies, HIV, and sexual violence.
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