By Anzoo Evaline

Adjumani District has received adolescent health materials from Naguru Teenage Information and Health Centre with funding from the Danish Embassy to strengthen youth-friendly services across the West Nile and Acholi sub-regions. The handover ceremony took place at the district headquarters, with leaders and health workers commending the initiative as a timely boost to adolescent health and rights.

The materials delivered include “wheels of knowledge,” board games, television sets, policy guidelines, flash disks containing educational films, and demonstration kits, all aimed at improving the delivery of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information and services. These resources will be distributed to 18 health facilities in the district, where they are expected to play a vital role in engaging young people.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Executive Director of Naguru Teenage Centre Dr. Rogers Ampuera said that, the intervention is part of their broader mission to empower adolescents with accurate health information while making health facilities more youth.

“This program is called the say program which is in five districts in West Nile and Acholi sub-region.

The main aim is to strengthen access to health services by adolescent girls and young women, but also taking into care of the young boys and men to have a comprehensive access to sexual productive health, but also address gender-based violence within those five districts.

We are doing this to make sure that we have safe spaces for young people through what we call youth friendly corners. So, as Naguru Teenage Centre, our commitment is to make sure that we support uh districts to be in position to deliver uh youth-friendly services in a comprehensive manner,” said Dr, Rogers.

 Adjumani district Assistant health officer Dr. Lulu Henry Leku welcomed the donation, stressing that it will go a long way in addressing gaps in adolescent health service delivery.

“We have observed increasing the number of adolescent and young people getting aware of their sexual reproductive health needs and number of them holding us accountable and demanding for these services. And arising from this, they have requested us to ensure we have facilities that can keep them at the health center. Facilities that can help them so that they can initiate conversation around SRS and TBV. So, it is on that basis that this facility will be able to attract, retain, motivate, but also more importantly contribute to the empowerment.

of our adolescents and young people on issues of sexual reproductive health and GBV while getting care in our healthcare care facilities”, Said the Assistant DHO Dr. Lulu Henry.

The secretary for Health Adjumani district Hon. Sabuni John, applauded Naguru Teenage Centre for the initiative and pledged their total support in utilizing the materials for its intended use.

“I want appreciate Naguru teenage and information centre for this support which is very crucial to our young girls and boys and I want assure you that we are going to make sure this equipment is well utilize”, said Sabuni John.

Apio Sharon Ruth Baru the assistant RDC of Adjumani appreciated the partners and the health workers for their recommendable effort in ensuring that the young people remain healthy and in school and urged the health workers to display the material in an open place for easy access by the adolescents.

“I am very grateful for this initiative in ensuring that Adolescents girls and boys are kept safe. I want to say that under the SRHR project, our young people have really benefited in different ways so I want to appealed to the health workers to make sure this materials are display in an open space”, Said Apio Ruth Baru.

The materials have totalled up to 152 million shillings targeting 71 health facilities in West Nile and Acholi sub-regions supported by the SAY project to empower the adolescents and youths in the districts of Adjumani, Obongi, Moyo, Lamwo and Kitgum.

By Anzoo Evaline

The health sector in Adjumani District has registered tremendous progress in maternal and child health, attributed to the ongoing interventions under the SHARE Project. District health officials have revealed that between July 2024 and May 24, 2025, the district recorded only two maternal mortality deaths out of 13,577 deliveries, signaling a significant improvement in safe motherhood.

Dr. Lulu Henry Leku, the District Health Officer in charge of Child and Maternal Health, described the outcome as a milestone. He explained that of the 13,577 deliveries, 13,575 were safe, reflecting a drop in maternal deaths from 41 per 100,000 live births to 15 per 100,000 live births, now aligning with the national standard.

“We have seen progressive reduction in our institution of maternal mortality ratio. From the last financial year, 41 per 100,000 life birth to the current 15 per 100,000 life birth. To put that into perspective, from the month of July up to the 24th of May 2025, we lost two mothers out of 13,577 mothers that came for delivery. And that means the 13,575 were saved. All of them had safe delivery. And that shows the kind of progress we have made as a district because of the collective effort including the contribution of the share project towards this indicator”, The DHO emphasized.

The share project is a sexual health and reproductive education project. it’s a five-year project which on a broader perspective is being implemented in three countries in Africa. Uganda is one of the countries., Ghana and then Mozambique. In Uganda, Right to play is the lead partner of the project, forum for African women educationalist (FAWE), WaterAid and then Family Health International 360 degrees.

The project is looking at a total target of 44,671 beneficiaries of young women and 29,825 young men out of school. 14,769 girls and 9,846 boys in school. So, the project targeted adolescence in school and adolescence out of school.

Adjumani District currently has 43 health care facilities, all of which have benefited from the SHARE Project. “And so, through this initiative, we have established 43 health facilities that is able to appropriately respond to the needs of adults and girls and young women and all women of reproductive age. So, we want to report to the public that Since then, we have seen improvement in access and utilization of adolescent health services”, said Dr. Lulu Henry.

These initiatives have not only improved maternal outcomes but also boosted outpatient attendance among adolescents, leading to a notable decline in teenage pregnancies, which now stand at 15.7%. “We have also seen improvement in our key adolescent health indicators, our teenage pregnancies as well be at 15.7% compared to the national average of 24%”, He added.

Dribareo Agnes one of the VHTs from ciforo sub county whose capacity has been built under the project explained that. “ Before our capacity have not been built, we have being doing things anyhow, we don’t care whether we shall conduct infections because for us we don’t bother to use the gloves when treating a patient but after the training by Water and other partners, we are now doing well, on 20th , June 2025, I even referred on mother to the hospital when she was in labour pain” Dribareo explained.

A representative working with WaterAid based in Adjumani district particularly implementing the WASH project under SHARE project that focuses much in the 43 three health care facilities said that.

“In Maijji B Health Centre 2, we rehabilitated their only surviving sanitation facility which was in a very horrible state., we went ahead to support them with a motorized water supply system and in Ofua but Ofua had a bigger challenge than Maijji B because their only sanitation blocks which were there were already full and they are non-drainable So we give them two more block of sanitation facility. Each block has the washroom attached to them. Then we also got for them a permanent hand washing facility. The maternity ward was not in a very bad state. The ceiling was almost falling. The cracks were too much. So, we rehabilitated the ceiling for that ward, but we realized the entire ceiling was not done well. So, we did the entire block. This is to ensure that we eliminate the challenges of our inpatient having no where to bath from. That’s number one. Number two, to support our adolescent girls and young women. When they come to get health care services and they are into their period. They will need to clean themselves. They will need to change their pads. So, where would they do it? That’s why constructed those facilities”, He said.

Uthman Bagonza the project manager working with right to play also said that. “as Right to Play, we are the lead partner as far as the share project is concern and focused much in ensuring that the Adolescent girls and boys have access to services like education, health though we much focused in the primary school sector as FAWE deals with the secondary schools but also under health we  have managed to supply sport materials to all the 43 health centres to improve on the re visit of the facilities by the adolescents”, said Uthman.

With this progress, Adjumani District is positioning itself as a model for maternal and child health improvement in Uganda. Authorities say the focus will remain on strengthening health systems, expanding adolescent-friendly services, and enhancing community awareness to reduce preventable deaths and health risks further.

By Bazio Doreen.

Most Ugandan women attend Antenatal Care (ANC) late, at five months of pregnancy on average, and do not complete all four visits recommended. Inadequate ANC usage contributes significantly to Uganda’s persistently high maternal and newborn death rates which stands at 189 per 100,000 live births, with a one (1) in 66 lifetime risk of maternal death.

However, for Ofua HC III, this is now history. With support from WaterAid, one of the partners implementing the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project in Adjumani District, the facility renovated the maternity ward which has increased the antennal coverage from 83% to 98%. Ofua HC III is located in Ofua Sub County, Adjumani District.

This intervention is key for Ofua because it is one of the sub counties with the highest Teenage Pregnancy rate of 20% against a district average of 15.7%. Of the 226 mothers delivered in the financial year (FY) 2024/2025, 33 were teenagers. Also, out of 3,936 Family planning users in Ofua in the same FY, 187 were teenagers.

According to Mindra Hellen Tilli, the Senior Assistant Chief Administrative Officer – Ofua Sub County, the high teenage pregnancy rate in the area is facilitated by poor parenting and stereotypes on child marriage.

“We have many child headed facilities that is worsened by poor parenting. It is believed in Ofua that people should get married when they are very young and active so as to have a fruitful marriage and grow together with their children,” Mindra says.

Tako Stephen, the Health Facility In charge Ofua HC III, now says that the renovation of the maternity ward has not only helped to create a safe environment for antennal, deliveries and post natal but also encouraged more teenage expectant mothers to come to the health facility.

“Before the intervention by WaterAid, we had a collapsing ceiling board in the maternity ward. This created fear to both the patients and the mid wives because they felt it would collapse any time. The renovation has now created comfort for the mothers. It has also helped to reduce stigma for teenage mother because they are now attended to easily and they leave,” Tako revealed.

Indeed, Iziku Juliet, 17, one of the teenage mothers who has received antennal care at the facility says that now she feels comfortable coming to the facility because the nurses and midwives are more motivated to work.

“Before the renovation, I feared to come here because the nurses would work on us slowly. The queues were very slow and we felt uncomfortable getting glaring eyes from the older women. But also I was afraid that the ceiling could collapse on us anytime,” Iziku said.

Similarly, David Livingston Onen, the SHARE Project Officer – WaterAid based in Adjumani, indeed affirms the maternity ward was in a dilapidated and worrying state which was not only affecting service delivery but access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights services and information.

“The maternity ward was in a very bad state. The ceiling was almost falling. The cracks were too much. So, we rehabilitated the ceiling for that ward, but we realized the entire ceiling was not done well. So, we had to renovate the entire block,” Onen explained.

Indeed the problem was far from over. A lot more was still at stake. The placenta pit was also renovated and concrete work surfaces/tops constructed in the laboratory and maternity ward. These work surfaces include: water points like sinks and cabinets for storing medical equipment.

These provide a safe working space for midwives and laboratory personnel which prevent infections opposed to wooden tables. The cabinets also improved storage of medical samples and equipment which has created an improved quality and accurate diagnosis.

Under the SHARE project support, WaterAid also constructed an 8 stances of drainable latrine, and 8 bathrooms including those for persons with disabilities.  

Onen says that while the initial plan of WaterAid was to renovate the maternity ward alone, they discovered that the WASH situation at the health facility was equally worrying.

“We found out that the only sanitation block of the health facility were already full and yet they are non-drainable. So, we decided to give them two more blocks of sanitation facility. This is to ensure that we eliminate the challenges of our inpatients/adolescents and young women having nowhere to bath during their period,” Onen explained.

Onen added “They will need to clean themselves. They will need to change their pads. So, where would they do it?”

In a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) assessment done by WaterAid between January to March 2025, the health facility scored 78% with the worst score being in health care waste management. Ofua HC III serves a catchment population of 7,330 and treats about 1,800 – 2,400 patients on average each month.

Tako also says they plan to improve their WASH performance in this financial year 2025/2026 through: facility based training; procurement of bins; printing and displaying Standard rules of procedure for waste management; monthly mock assessments and recruitment of volunteers.

The health facility developed a WASH improvement plan which has become an advocacy tool. The plan is now enabling the facility employ 4 volunteers who are paid shs 100,000/= each every quarter. These are helping the facility improve their WASH since they only have one cleaner. While cleanliness and infection control at the facility is paramount, health assistants and inspectors need to equally ensure that communities adhere to basic disease prevention mechanisms.  

As explained by Edema Richard Draciri, the Principal Chief Administrative Officer, medical supplies and drugs given by the Ministry of Health are inadequate and thus many times drug stock out is inevitable.

“What the Ministry of Health gives us is just a drop in the ocean. People now think that health workers steal drugs because of the frequent drug stock outs and high disease burden. So prevention is more sustainable. We need to reduce the number of people lining up for medicines. It is unfortunate that we have recruited more health assistants but the performance of WASH keeps deteriorating,” Edema observes.

Edema also informed the participants that resources to local governments are now allocated based the annual National Assessment by the Office of the Prime Minister adding that under Health, the WASH component is assessed and facilities to be visited are selected on random. 

WaterAid is currently implementing the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project in Uganda, with support from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) play a critical role in achieving Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for women and girls, especially as it relates to personal health.

The five-year SHARE project that ends in 2026 seeks to advance gender equality and increase the enjoyment of health-related human rights by vulnerable right-holders, particularly adolescent girls and young women. Through SHARE, WaterAid has been partnering with the district to rehabilitate WASH systems in healthcare facilities including: installing hand washing units to prevent the spread of disease; restructuring sanitation facilities to ensure that toilets are inclusive and gender sensitive; training healthcare workers in healthcare facilities and in the community on WASH infection prevention and control; installing safe waste disposal systems; and training healthcare workers on proper waste management. 

END.

By Anzoo Evaline

The future of underprivileged children in West Nile received a major boost as the Jewel Michaels Foundation for Education was officially launched in Adjumani District. The initiative, spearheaded by Miss Teen Pearl of Africa 2024, Jewel Michaels Anzoa, seeks to transform the lives of disadvantaged children by ensuring they have the opportunity to go to school, stay in school, and successfully complete their education.

The colorful launch was graced by General (Rtd) Caleb Akandwanaho commonly known as Gen. Salim Saleh, who commended Jewel Michael for championing a cause that resonates deeply with Uganda’s vision of empowering the next generation. Gen. Saleh pledged his personal and institutional support through the Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) programme, emphasizing that education and agriculture must move hand in hand to secure the region’s future.

“As OWC, we made a proposal to the Ministry of Education. We had offered to use all the schools with land to be able to start the wealth creation around the schools. So, thank you, Jewel, for bringing me to the education sector through my way of agriculture. The other groups can contribute in their own way, but if I can get this partnership between the education system and agriculture, then I’m ready to collaborate with you,” Gen. Saleh promised.

To demonstrate his commitment, Gen. Saleh contributed 35 million Uganda shillings to support the foundation’s programs, a gesture that was met with overwhelming applause from the community and leaders in attendance.

“With these few words, I hereby launch the foundation and we shall contribute 35 million shillings for the foundation,” Gen. Saleh said.

Queen Jewel Michael, in her speech, expressed her gratitude to the people of Adjumani and West Nile, pledging to use the foundation as a platform to break barriers to education, particularly for girls and children from vulnerable families.

“My dream is to see every child in West Nile have equal access to education. This foundation is not about me, it’s about giving hope and creating opportunities for children who would otherwise be left behind, so our guest of Honor, while recognizing the positive progress, the high dropout rate is attributed to social, economic, cultural, and structural problems” she said. “Guest of Honor, we the children of West Nile called upon you and all the prominent persons, the president of the Republic of Uganda, the minister of education and sports, to hold annual education campaign events in West Nile and sub-regional public dialogue on improving education outcomes in West Nile sub region,” Queen Jewel added.

The District Chairperson of Adjumani district, Hon. Anyama Ben, appreciated the general for honoring his invitation and of the family. Anyama further applauded the family of Maj. Gen. (rtd) Ondoga Michael for acknowledging that they are Madi from Adjumani.

“General Saleh, I want to thank you very much on behalf of my people of Adjumani and on my own behalf for accepting my invitation and the family of Queen. I want to thank Major General Ondoga and the family for first of all for accepting to recognize that you are Madi. Because there are many Ma’di people who have achieved bigger things but they have never brought it home here. Meaning they disassociated themselves from us,” said Hon. Anyama.

“General you are liberator, you are revolutionist, and every Uganda is having peace because of you accepting to sacrifice in the bush. Today you are here to address the issue of Adjumani and West Nile, to bring peace and education in our country and in the district. I thank you,” Anyama added.

Kojoa Cynthia Princess, a student of St. Mary’s Assumpta, said that. “Today that we have been inspired by the Queen Jewel Michaels that this foundation can make students in Adjumani district go to school, to stay in school and complete school. As you know that the rate of dropout in Adjumani district is high”.

The foundation will work closely with schools, parents, and local leaders to tackle challenges such as school dropouts, early marriages, and poverty-related barriers that keep children out of classrooms.

By Anzoo Evaline.

 The dream of transforming the future of underprivileged children in West Nile is taking shape with the official launch of the Jewel Michaels Foundation for Education, an initiative spearheaded by Miss Teen Pearl of Africa, Queen Jewel Michael. The foundation, whose mission is to ensure that vulnerable children have the opportunity to go to school, stay in school, and complete school, will officially be launched on Friday, September 5, 2025, at Paridi Stadium in Adjumani District.

In preparation for the grand launch, a pre-event meeting was held on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at Adjumani District Council Hall, bringing together heads of department, political leaders and opinion from the fourteen districts across the West Nile sub-region. The dialogue cantered on the current state of education in the region, where stakeholders identified poor parental attitudes towards children’s education as one of the most pressing challenges. They urged parents to adopt a more supportive mindset and prioritize education as a key investment for their children’s future.

Queen Jewel Michael expressed her passion for education during the press conference, noting that many children in West Nile drop out of school due to poverty, neglect, and early marriages.

“I would like to tell you why I choose education. As a 15-year-old child, I have seen myself that very many children in Uganda starting with my own district, which is Adjumani district, are struggling with education. There are so many limitations that stop them from going to school, staying in school, and completing school. I have four cousins who have been in and out of school because of lack of finances, poverty.

I have another cousin who dropped out of school because of teenage pregnancy. And you might ask yourself, if you have four cousins and you go to school, why not help them?

And you ask yourself, why is this happening? In 2025, we have children who are being forced into marriages, little children. In 2025, we have children dropping out of school because of peer pressure. And you ask yourself why is this happening? I am 15 years old and I want to advocate for children who do not have a voice because. I’m able to be here and advocate for all of them. Education is not It shouldn’t be asked for because it is a right. It is something that we should have. And that is why I am starting the Jewel Michaels Foundation for education”, said Miss Teen pearl of Africa.

The Queen Mother Ambassador Lucy Michael has appealed to the parents more especially the mothers to support their children’s education. “Motherhood is a responsibility and the responsibility is towards the family and towards the community and the family is where our children are nurtured first. So, beginning right from the time a child is born. It’s very important first of all for mothers to watch over their health and make sure that they start school at the time they should start school at UPE, which his excellence the President of Uganda has made sure is actually accessible and it is free. So, that is a responsibility of a mother that the key milestones of a child’s life. At the beginning of life, early childhood is fulfilled. The next responsibility of mothers of West Nile would then be towards managing the teen ages of children during puberty. When children are at puberty, they have a lot of emotional and psychological, social economic needs”, Queen mother Lucy emphasized.

The retired Major Gen. Odonga Michael the father to miss teen pearl of Africa also emphasized on the importance of education. “Somehow one may wonder as to why this soldier is so much now engrossed in issues of education. Education made a big contribution to our lives, but still, we have issues and one of them is a poor education or even lack of it, which is a big problem. So, I see education as a critical tool of social transformation and development, and I am what I am because of education”, said Maj Gen. Odonga.

The launch event at Paridi Stadium is expected to draw large crowds, with Gen. Caleb Salim Saleh serving as the Guest of Honour.  

Drani Ronald the senior Education officer of Arua city in charge of Ayivu division welcomed the initiative and said. “We clearly know that West Nile has been the epitome of education in the whole of Uganda. We have very many alumni who have finished their all level from West Nile. In army, in different offices, people used to come from different regions of Uganda to come and study in our region when we went to school, there was emphasis on preparing children to read and write right from P1. And actually, it started even from the church. And that literacy which was emphasized where children were taught to first read and write in their own mother tongue, gave them the power to easily understand English and also to begin to write on their own and to read to interpret.

Our greatest challenge in West Nile, which is causing poor performance is poor reading culture. I want to start from there. Most of our primary schools that are performing like the RDC of Obongi said are from private schools. The reason is these pupils start the education from ECD’’, said Drani. He added “So, many parents complained they are poor. That poverty mindset has affected simple provision of education. And most of our homesteads people are growing Marungi, opium. And the children who are supposed to go to school, these young girls and boys, they first go and pluck this Marungi to get some 1,000, 2,000 shillings. And some of the parents send them to go and sell them. And the parents who are selling this Marungi are actually abusing, they’re chewing it and the children begin to abuse this drug. And now what happens is the children when even they’re in primary, they’re very indiscipline. They’re hostile even to teach they don’t listen to advice. So, drug abuse has greatly. The rate of strikes which we witnessed in West Nile immediately after Covid-19 was the effect of the drug abuse,” Drani added.

The RDC of Obongi district Samuel Mpibaza Hasaka has appealed to the stakeholders to work together as team in ensuring the success of the program

“I want to bear that at the end of this program launch let’s be serious let’s work together Let’s see how we can help out. The girls are suffering. The girls are being defiled. The girls are being married off at a very young age. so happened that we are having this educational campaign in West Nile, let us let work together ladies and gentlemen”, said RDC Hasaka

With the backing of stakeholders and the enthusiasm of the community, the Jewel Michaels Foundation for Education promises to be a beacon of hope for thousands of children whose educational journeys have been threatened by poverty and neglect.

By Bazio Doreen.

Authorities in Adjumani District are concerned about the rising cases of HIV infections among young people, especially adolescents. Records at the District Health Office reveal a concerning rise in new HIV infections among the population in Adjumani District from 2021 to 2024 with young people disproportionately affected.

New HIV cases among the population in Adjumani district increased from 327 in 2021 to 437 in 2024, marking a 33.6% rise over four years. The young people in Adjumani district account for over 40% of the new HIV infections.

Worse still, according to records the District Health Office captured between January and March 2025, six new HIV infections among adolescents (10-19 years) were registered, with one yet to be linked to HIV care. This underscores the urgent need for intensified Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) interventions to curb this trend. 

According to Inyani Mane Dolorence, the District HIV Focal Person, several factors contribute to the rising HIV incidence among youth in the district including: limited access to comprehensive SRHR education; inadequate youth-friendly health services; and socio-economic challenges such as poverty and unemployment increase vulnerability.

He also adds that stigma and misconceptions around HIV and sexual health discourage young people from seeking testing and treatment services.

“Adjumani’s youthful population, coupled with many vulnerabilities, creates a critical environment where HIV transmission can escalate if not addressed promptly. The increase in new HIV infections highlights the gaps in effective outreach, counselling, and provision of preventive tools such as condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PEP),” Inyani observed.

Indeed some of the Adolescent Friendly corners at some health facilities are dilapidated and now other rooms/space is being improvised to encourage young people to access SRHR services. This is concerning because teenage pregnancies in Adjumani increased by 1% in March 2025.

The Teenage pregnancy rate among nationals increased from 15.6% in financial year 2023/2024 to 16.3% in financial year 2024/2025. Data at the District Health Office also indicates that the teenage pregnancy rate in financial year 2020/2021 was 14.4%.

Irama Steven Leku, an Enrolled Nurse and Adolescent Focal Person at Pagirinya I HC III, says that the Adolescent Friendly Corner has become so dilapidated that it can’t accommodate patients and fulfil their needs.

“Our Adolescent Corner has since become so open. It is now the poles that are remaining. There is no privacy. People can see whoever has come in and even sometimes predict what might have brought them to the facility. For now we are improvising the breast feeding corner but this is not sustainable. Most of our clients are refugees. Their culture doesn’t shun teenage pregnancy but they need protection from stigma that can be exerted by the host communities,” Leku explained.

In affirmation, Dipio Frances, Senior Social Welfare and Probation Officer, also observes that having a comfortable space for an Adolescent Friendly Corner is key because many young people are still afraid to speak up about their SRHR problems.

“Many young expectant mothers find it difficult to open up when they are in OPD. They prefer corners. Unfortunately, World Food Program has stopped its NutriCash program, it used to map even those who fear to come to the health facility so as to receive the supplementary feeding support. We are aware that many now have aborted due the halt,” Dipio observed.

The increase in HIV is also being linked to Gender Based Violence (GBV). This is worrying because Sexual violence can lead to HIV infection directly, as trauma increases the risk of transmission. More importantly, GBV increases HIV risk indirectly. Victims of childhood sexual abuse are more likely to be HIV positive, and to have high risk behaviors. This sometimes is due to the SRHR challenges faced by health facilities.

Meanwhile, the district finds it hard to harmonize GBV data. This is because of the multisectoral duty bearers involved; different reporting lines for partners and conflicting GBV registers at the health facility.

Steven Tako, Ofua HC III Facility In charge, says that some implementing partners want the health facilities to capture GBV data in separate registers other than the one provided by government as as a result, some cases remain unresolved.

“We have conflicting registers at the health facility. The partners need to adopt the one of government so that we harmonize our reporting system. It is also worth noting that a lot of GBV cases that are reported to police are not resolved,” Tako explained.

However efforts have been made to streamline interventions on SRHR. The District recently commissioned a 20 member Committee for Adolescent Health (DICAH).  This is in line with a District Local Action plan (2025 -2030) that seeks to reduce GBV from 27% to 17% within the next five years targeting 9,135 beneficiaries. However, the DICAH is also charged with resolving all SRHR issues.

For adolescents and young people specially, some capacity building trainings have been done between January to March 2025. However, the targets are yet to be met. Only 12 out of 60 Primary School teachers trained, 8 out of 21 Secondary School teachers trained, 40 out of 44 Health In charges trained, 40 out of 120 senior men/women teachers trained, 720 out of 1800 in school peer educators trained, and 110 out of 592 out of school peer educators trained. Through these efforts, over 11,851 adolescents and young persons have been reached with SRHR information and referred to the nearest health facilities.

Although this is encouraging, Inyani, observes that the district and its SRHR partners still have more to do to empower young people through socio –economic programs that can help them overcome risky behaviors.

“We must create an enabling environment where young people feel supported and informed to make safer sexual health choices. We need to strengthen youth-friendly health services to offer confidential, stigma-free HIV testing, counselling, and treatment,” said Inyani.

The DICAH was commissioned with support from Right to Play (RTP) under the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) program. Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the SHARE project is being implemented by a consortium led by Right to Play, in partnership with WaterAid, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and FHI 360. The 5 year program ending in March 2026 seeks to empower 325,000 adolescents and youth aged 10-24, particularly girls and young women, both in and out of school, to demand better sexual and reproductive health care through a gender-transformative and rights-based approach.

In Adjumani, the SHARE Project is being implemented in 66 Primary schools, 8 Secondary Schools, 43 Health Centres and through four 30 member mentorship cohorts. These all target young people between 10 -24 years.

END.

Access to medical care at Arua Main Prison Health Center III is now being hampered by the increased security measures at Arua Main Prison.

The Arua Main Prison Health Center III has long offered vital medical services, having been established as a public health center to assist both prisoners and the local population soon after Arua Main Prison was built in 1930.

However, regular security measures, a lack of public knowledge of the facility’s existence, and other circumstances have led to the public’s underutilization of it.

Authorities implemented stricter security measures throughout the prison grounds in response to growing concerns about smuggling and disturbances. These included heightened patrols, stringent limitations on movement, and thorough security inspections at every point of entry.

Although these precautions were taken to keep the staff and prisoners safe, they unintentionally interfered with the health center’s regular operations because they are housed in the same property.

According to conversations with medical staff at Arua Main Prison Health Center III, the facility is completely functional, stocked with enough medications, and outfitted with diagnostic equipment for conditions like diabetes, HIV, TB, malaria, ulcers, and more. The usage is still low in spite of this.

According to Sharon Munduru, who at the time of writing brought her child with a fever, cough, and illness, the facility’s services are quick and easy to access, and the medical staff is friendly and accommodating to patients.

Because we live close to prisons, Munduru explained, “you find a lot of people at Police Health Center III. For us, we just come here and it’s just a matter of carrying your national ID to enter from the gate. Their services are very fast, easy, and you can’t go without having your medication.”

Records from the facility reveal that, on average, about 700 patients with various illnesses are registered weekly. Of these, approximately 100 patients come from outside the prison community this is primarily due to fears related to data collection and security checks conducted by security personnel.

The most common ailments seen at the outpatient department include respiratory tract infections, peptic ulcers, tuberculosis, malaria, and diabetes.

Hellen Dejang, Enrolled Nurse at the facility they conduct variety of services including immunization campaigns, Nutritional assessments, General body checkups Antenatal Serveries though they don’t conduct deliveries due to inadequate space, other services including Family planning and Reproductive Health services, Maternal Child Health services and emergency care.

The facility receives supplies from National Medical Stores, Joint Medical Stores and equally from General stores of Uganda Prisons Services in Luzira. It has variety of equipments in the laboratory including the Gene expert Machines, SD4 count Machines, Microscopes, Diabetes Machine, Afino Machine with exception of the CBC-Complete Blood Count Machine and Chemical Analysis Machine whose services are sort from either Oli Health Center III or Arua Regional Referral Hospital.

SP Herbert Muhangi, the Officer in Charge of Arua Main Prison, stated that the security protocols are designed to maintain order and safety, given that the health facility is situated within a secure installation.

“The nature of the Health Facility is situated under a Security institution, so perhaps you have to adhere to the security protocols that are in place, we only require proper identification,, and we register you, usher you in, and serve you. The challenge we have is when you ask some people about their national Identity Cards for identification, they don’t just turn away any other identification, so we get challenged on how to really manage security and this person who is a stranger. If the general public could carry any form of identification, we are good to go.” Muhangi said

The facility is staffed by 16 personnel and primarily serves the catchment areas of Kenya and Awindiri Wards in Arua City.

By Bazio Doreen.

About 85 selected health workers in Adjumani District have been trained on a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) improvement tool for Health Facilities.

The training was to enhance the knowledge and skills of the health workers to effectively collect, analyze, manage and utilize infection, prevention and control (IPC) data to identify trends and assess the efficacy of interventions to make informed decisions to contribute to enhancing public health and safety through improved WASH.

The training featured 2 health workers from each of the 44 health facilities in Adjumani and took place at Dubai Resort from Monday 28^th July 2025 to Friday 8^th August 2025. Each weekly cohort had at least 40 health workers – a move that was done so as to minimize Human Resource gaps at the Health Centres during the training period. The health workers included: Facility in charges, nurses, Clinical Officers, Doctors, mid wives, Health Assistants and Health Inspectors.  

Participants are now expected to bi-annually assess, identify and evaluate WASH gaps at their facilities and thereafter develop or update their WASH improvement plans until such a time when all the gaps have been fixed.

According to Onen David Livingstone, the SHARE Project Officer – WaterAid, the facilities are supported to categorize their gaps according to risk and resolve them conclusively and sustainably in the long run.

“We want them to have a WASH improvement plan with a clear strategy showing those that pose either high or low risk. Some of the issues can be easily resolved using PHC or RBF dependent on capacity. We support the facilities to track progress and consolidate sustainability of their prevention and control measures,” Onen explained.

Onen also said that this is done to ensure that patients get the highest possible quality of care and an enabling environment for recovering when they visit health facilities. Onen also said that WASH is not only critical in Infection Prevention and Control but also health care in general including Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR).

 “When you go to a health facility and there is no water, as a client, you will run away. We want the right holders like Adolescent to feel comfortable when they visit the medical facility. For example a girl should be able to comfortably change her sanitary towel,” Onen explained.

The WASH improvement tool focuses on seven domains of: water, hand hygiene, management, sanitation, energy, waste management, and environment. Participants in each cohort visited selected 8 health facilities chosen on random, which were used as reference points for making draft WASH improvement plans and group presentations.

In his presentation, Dima Felix, the Health In charge at Ajugopi HC II, also observed that some of his counter parts were just acting negligent as some of the gaps or challenges didn’t need a training or a meeting to resolve.

“At some of our facilities, we have these WASH equipment but we are reluctant to utilize them. Some of the challenges don’t need a lot of money to resolve for example lighting in our WASH facilities, installing mosquito nets, cleaning our toilets and doing peer to peer training,” Dima advised his fellow participants.

In affirmation, Okia Bosco, the Public Health Inspector at the Ministry of Health, who was the lead trainer, urged the participants to constitute a WASH Facility Improvement Team so that the task becomes a shared responsibility.

“It shouldn’t be business as usual. This is serious. We have identified our own challenges and we should commit to resolve them. 80% of the challenges we have identified don’t even require money. You just need to have in place a WASH FIT team that is clear of their roles and responsibilities,” Bosco said.  

On his part, Edema Richard Draciri, the Principal Chief Administrative Officer, emphasized disease prevention observing that it is more sustainable than cure/treatment. He explained that the medical supplies and drugs given by the Ministry of Health are inadequate and thus rallied the Health Inspectors and Health Assistants to double their efforts.

“What the Ministry of Health gives us is just a drop in the ocean. People now think that health workers steal drugs because of the frequent drug stock outs and high disease burden. So prevention is more sustainable. We need to reduce the number of people lining up for medicines. It is unfortunate that we have recruited more health assistants but the performance of WASH keeps deteriorating,” Edema observed.

Edema also informed the participants that resources to local governments are now allocated based the annual National Assessment by the Office of the Prime Minister adding that under Health, the WASH component is assessed and facilities to be visited are selected on random.  

Meanwhile, Onen, was concerned that most of the motorized water systems constructed with funding from UNICEF are now non-functional. He urged the district leadership to carry out a comprehensive assessment on the challenges and together with partners resolve them as some of them are beyond the capacity of the health facility managers.

The training also had the following recommendations: participants should mentor other staff and sensitize the Health Unit Management Committee on the WASH Facility Improvement Tool; integrate WASH and IPC committee for joint interventions; and task the District Health Team to use the tool in their periodic monitoring and support supervision.   

WaterAid is currently implementing the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project in Uganda, with support from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) play a critical role in achieving Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for women and girls, especially as it relates to personal health.

The five-year SHARE project that ends in 2026 seeks to advance gender equality and increase the enjoyment of health-related human rights by vulnerable right-holders, particularly adolescent girls and young women. Through SHARE, WaterAid has been partnering with the district to rehabilitate WASH systems in healthcare facilities including: installing hand washing units to prevent the spread of disease; restructuring sanitation facilities to ensure that toilets are inclusive and gender sensitive; training healthcare workers in healthcare facilities and in the community on WASH infection prevention and control; installing safe waste disposal systems; and training healthcare workers on proper waste management. 

END.

By Bazio Doreen.

Stakeholders in Adjumani District have tasked the District Leadership to reinforce Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) programs in schools to improve social behavioral change campaigns focusing on Adolescents.

The call was made during the Quarter 3 FY 2024/2025 Adolescent Health Coordination meeting at the District Council Hall on 3^rd July 2025 convened by the District leadership in Partnership with Right to Play, an NGO operating in the District.

The meeting was attended by district political and technical officers, representatives from Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Area Managers of NGOs/partners implementing SRHR projects like Lutheran World Federation (LWF), CEFORD, Reach a Hand Uganda (RAHU), and Naguru Teenage Centre (NTC).

Where is the problem?

While addressing the meeting, Dima Robert, the District Education Officer, thanked the SHARE project partners for their interventions in schools especially on life skills and menstrual hygiene. He however added that while this has created some positive impact, there is a lot that still needs to be done because the knowledge gained was being misused especially in refugees’ schools in what he termed as “Hidden Curriculum”.

“Recently, we conducted a monitoring exercise together with the Ministry of Education and Sports and we were disappointed. Children are now having their own curriculum outside the classroom. When you enter the school toilets, you will find writings and drawings on the wall illustrating sex. Our children’s minds are now on sex even when in the classroom,” Dima revealed.

Dima is also worried that the writings don’t stay in the toilets alone but children go on to put the knowledge into practice.

“In some nearby bushes, you will find condoms. Some of them say it is the teachers that use them but we know that our teachers can do better than that,” Dima said in a worried tone.

The toilets don’t only have the ‘Hidden Curriculum’ but are largely dirty with some of them closed. This alone affects SRHR. But what then causes such errant behavior.

According to Lulu Henry Leku, the Assistant District Health Officer in charge of Maternal and Child Health, the errant behavior and vices are mainly due to drug abuse.

“We were told that young people these days use some medicine called ‘Sawu’. I hear that you may not need to smoke it. You can just put it in your socks and you get high,” Leku said in portraying shock and disbelief.

On the other hand, Idia Pauline, the District Focal Person for Reproductive Health, also observed that focus group discussions for the SRHR school programs have become irrelevant and there is a need to promote individual talks with each pupil or student.

“When you talk to the Adolescents in a group. They never pay attention. Some students think that the health clubs are for promoting sex. When you talk to them, they only ask questions related to sex,” Idia revealed.

What can be done?

Dr. Nabwiire Justine, who represented the Ministry of Health, rallied all the stakeholders to play their part because issues of adolescents and young people are multi sectoral in nature and need everyone’s input. She also noted that many families desist to report defilement and rape because they want to protect their family reputation. She also added that providing contraceptives is not enough, health education must always be given and in an appropriate manner.

“We receive Adolescents when things have gone so bad. There is a pregnancy, Gender Based Violence, abortion, rape or defilement. So it takes a lot of boldness to speak up about such things. Many families are never ready for the challenge. Schools are under the Ministry of Education and therefore the District Education Office needs to do more. It is not enough to provide contraceptives. You must educate the young people on not just how to use them and why to use them but the consequences of doing so just like any other user,” Dr. Nabwiire said.

On his part, Dennis Kibwola, the SHARE Project Technical Advisor from FHI 360, said there is a need to strengthen the District Committee on Adolescent Health and partners need to commit resources to address the challenges. At school level, Dennis said there is a need to limit what is discussed in biology class and integrate it with SRHR and teachers must also be empowered to address psychosocial needs of teenagers. He also tasked the District Education Officer to write to all schools about the findings and the recommendations of the meeting.

Stakeholders also agreed that support supervision, inspection and monitoring in schools should be strengthened, and the out dated Education ordinance reviewed to achieve the required positive shift in social behavior of young people especially those in school.

The meeting was convened under the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) program, funded by Global Affairs Canada, and being implemented by a consortium led by Right to Play, in partnership with WaterAid, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and FHI 360. The 5 year program ending in March 2026 seeks to empower 325,000 adolescents and youth aged 10-24, particularly girls and young women, both in and out of school, to demand better sexual and reproductive health care through a gender-transformative and rights-based approach.

In Adjumani, the SHARE Project is being implemented in 66 Primary schools, 8 Secondary Schools, 43 Health Centres and through four 30 member mentorship cohorts. These all target young people between 10 -24 years.

END.

By Bazio Doreen.

Adjumani District Local Government, in partnership with Right to Play (RTP), has commissioned a District Committee on Adolescent Health (DICAH) to strengthen coordination and collaboration between stakeholders and partners/NGOs implementing Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) programs in the district.

The committee was commissioned on 3^rd July 2025 during the Adolescent Health Quarterly Coordination meeting at the District Council Hall convened by the District leadership in Partnership with Right to Play, an NGO operating in the District.

While commissioning the 20 member committee, Hon. Irene Adrupio Appi, the Secretary for Finance who represented the District Chairperson, appreciated RTP for supporting the district to set up and commission the DICAH which will strengthen the sustainability of SRHR interventions they are carrying out in the community and 66 Primary Schools. 

“Thank you Right to Play for helping the district to handle issues of adolescents. This committee is going to help us to do better monitoring and consolidation of how issues of adolescents are being handled,” Hon. Appi said.

On why the DICAH was formed, Atama Yunus, the District Biostatician, explained that there was a decline in the number of Adolescents seeking care at health centers. He said that while 11,851 adolescents were reached with SRHR information, Outpatient Department (OPD) attendance had reduced from 41,384 (July to September 2024) to 30,299 (January to March 2025), and visits to the adolescent-friendly corner reduced from 24,478 (July to September 2024) to 9,320 (January to March 2025). Of 3,084 adolescents tested for HIV/AIDs between July 2024 and July 2025, 6 were found to be positive.

Mane Dolorence, the District HIV Focal Person, observed that the DICAH needs to intervene so that HIV outreaches targeting Adolescents and young people are strengthened. New HIV infections rose from 327 in FY 2021/2022 to 437 in FY 2024/25.

“HIV is now taking an Adolescent Face. We need to scale up SRHR interventions in places where adolescents are likely to have limited access to both services and knowledge,” Mane said.

However, Idia Pauline, the District Focal Person for Reproductive Health, said that health facilities and other stakeholders are now changing the way they handle issues of adolescents, and this may see a positive shift in the statistics.

“We have now started making the IEC materials to have Adolescent Friendly language. We have also started improvising and designating Adolescent Friendly corners and agreeing with the clients on which days and times we should attend to them,” Idia revealed.

Between January and March 2025, records at the District Health Office show that 128 adolescents abused alcohol, 36 abused tobacco, 77 experienced Gender Based Violence; 73 did abortions and 1,231 accessed Family Planning methods.

The meeting was convened under the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) program, funded by Global Affairs Canada, and is being implemented by a consortium led by Right to Play, in partnership with WaterAid, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), and FHI 360. The 5-year program ending in March 2026 seeks to empower 325,000 adolescents and youth aged 10-24, particularly girls and young women, both in and out of school, to demand better sexual and reproductive health care through a gender-transformative and rights-based approach.

In Adjumani, the SHARE Project is being implemented in 66 Primary schools, 8 Secondary Schools, 43 Health Centres and through four 30 member mentorship cohorts. These all target young people between 10 and 24 years old.

END.