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. 2024 May 21;12(Suppl 2):e2200308.
doi: 10.9745/GHSP-D-22-00308. Print 2024 May 21.

Boosting Contraceptive Uptake in Urban Uganda: Older Women Benefit When Layering Adolescent and Youth Interventions Onto Existing Family Planning Programming

Albert Bwire  1 , Denis Joel Sama  1 , Jessica Mirano  2 , Paul Nyachae  3 , Kenneth Owino  4 , Josephine Nabukeera  1 , Juliet Tumuhairwe  1 , Maheen Malik  2 , Ian Salas  2 , Vanessa Mitchell  2 , Krishna Bose  2
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Boosting Contraceptive Uptake in Urban Uganda: Older Women Benefit When Layering Adolescent and Youth Interventions Onto Existing Family Planning Programming

Albert Bwire et al. Glob Health Sci Pract. .

Abstract

Introduction: Uganda has a large young population with a high unmet need for family planning (FP). Although there have been many efforts to improve access to and uptake of contraception, improvements have been slow. The Ministry of Health Uganda partnered with The Challenge Initiative (TCI) to implement a novel multipronged approach layering adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health (AYSRH) onto a functioning general FP program for women of reproductive age in 3 local governments of Buikwe, Mukono, and Iganga. We describe the approach and aim to determine whether layering AYSRH interventions onto an existing program resulted in increased contraceptive uptake among adolescents and youth aged 10-24 years and among women aged 25-49 years.

Methods: We analyzed service statistics from the Uganda Health Management Information System to assess contraceptive uptake for adolescents and youth (aged 10-24 years) and older women (aged 25-49 years) before and after the implementation of the AYSRH approach in 3 areas (Buikwe, Iganga, and Mukono) compared to 11 areas where only the general FP program was implemented and the Uganda country total.

Results: This analysis showed that before the start of TCI's support, levels of contraceptive uptake were similar in all local governments. However, after implementation, there was an increase in uptake for general FP program only areas (1.7-point advantage over country total) and an even greater increase in general FP+AYSRH areas (2.4-point advantage over FP only programming). This was observed in both adolescents and youth aged 10-24 years and among women aged 25-49 years.

Conclusion: The layering of TCI's AYSRH interventions onto a well-functioning FP platform not only increased contraceptive uptake among adolescents and youth aged 10-24 years but also boosted uptake among women older than age 25 years.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Comparison of Net Contraceptive Uptake Trends Among Adolescents and Youth Aged 10–24 Years Abbreviations: AYSRH, adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health; FP, family planning.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Comparison of Net Contraceptive Uptake Trends Among Women Aged 25–49 Years Abbreviations: AYSRH, adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health; FP, family planning.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS); ICF. Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2016: Key Indicators Report. UBOS/ICF; 2017. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.ubos.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/03_2018Uganda_DHS_2...
    1. The Republic of Uganda. Investment Case for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Sharpened Plan for Uganda 2016/17 – 2019/20. The Republic of Uganda; 2016. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.globalfinancingfacility.org/sites/default/files/Uganda-Inves...
    1. Guttmacher Institute. Adding It Up: Investing in Adolescents’ Sexual and Reproductive Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Guttmacher Institute; 2020. Accessed March 13, 2024. https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/factsheet/adding-it-up-in...

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