Yospace Voucher Launched On World Contraceptive Day 2020
World Contraception Day takes place on September 26th every year. The annual worldwide campaign centers on a vision where every pregnancy is wanted and planned for. This day was launched in 2007 with a mission to improve awareness of contraception through community sensitization on available contraceptive methods to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health.
The Public Health Burden
The demand and utilization of contraceptive methods remains very low leading to an increased number of Teenage pregnancies which now stands at 25% and STIs/STDs including HIV infections among Young people.
Among the sexually active unmarried young women, 32 percent have an unmet need for family planning, and 51 percent are currently using a contraceptive method. The total demand for family planning among unmarried sexually active young women is 83 percent, and at present 61 percent of the potential demand for family planning is being met.
The day’s theme and the celebrations
Public Health Ambassadors Uganda together with other CSOs like Youth Equality Centre (YEC) and WCD is purposed to increase awareness of the contraceptive methods for young people through door to door mobilization by peer educators and provision of free family planning services at Nile Crescent Medical Centre. This was in line with the national theme, which was LET US ROLL BACK THE TEENAGE PREGNANCY CRISIS IN UGANDA. The one-day activity was used to rally efforts of key stakeholders in as champions in breaking barriers and creating demand for the contraceptive methods in the young age highly populated community of Bugembe.
Objectives of the celebrations
- To increase awareness about contraception and to enable couples and young people to make an informed decision regarding starting a family.
- To discuss the barriers to contraception access and how these can be addressed by the different stakeholders in the community.
The executed activities for the day included; Provision of free modern contraceptives, Myths buster sessions with support from our peer mobilizers, Condom use distribution, illustration and demonstration, Health education session On SRHR especially on the myths and misconception on Contraceptives, Door to Door mobilization health talks drives, Free HIV counseling and Testing and a Radio health Talk show on Busoga One Fm.
The event targeted participants that included; Young people living in Bugembe Town council and surrounding areas, Local Leaders, Parents, Health Providers and Youth Councilors. The entire event was hosted with consideration of covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure safety of all persons that attended and gave services.
A total of 125 clients who visited the facility were offered services that included
| Health Services offered | No of clients |
| Implanon | 10 |
| IUD | 5 |
| Injection | 9 |
| Jadelle | 3 |
| Pills | 14 |
| Cervical cancer screening | 13 |
| Hepatitis B | 16 |
| HIV testing | 55 |
| Total | 125 |
Voucher launched
The event climaxed with closing remarks from Jean Mirembe the Assistant District Health officer (ADHO) in charge of Maternal Child Health who launched the yospace voucher that shall be sold at UGX 1000. The peer educators shall sell each at 1000 shillings with a profit of UGX 500. This is one-way public health ambassadors Uganda will be improving the livelihoods of the youth in the community. The youthful peer educators are to be offered the first set of yospace vouchers for free and then they shall sell the second batch after purchasing them at UGX 500 with a profit of 50% which is good for them as a part time activity.
