By Patrick Opio
Senior Communications Officer
Health workers, local leaders and adolescents from Aromo and Ogur in Lira District, northern Uganda have participated in the dissemination of reports on adolescents’ sexual reproductive health status in their respective areas.
Dr. Chris Ongom, the Chief Executive Officer, GLOFORD, advised adolescents to be careful and avoid early sex or marriage as the practice is detrimental to their future. “Your future or life is what you personally make, resist temptations, avoid reckless sex and unplanned pregnancy for the good of your health,” Dr. Ongom cautioned adolescent girls and boys during the dissemination workshops held on 5th to 6th November 2025 at different venues.
Dr. Ongom advised participants to consider accessing family planning services offered at their respective health facilities. “In the event that there are complications accruing from abortion carried out, do not hesitate to visit health centre for the post abortion care,” he said.
He noted that post abortion care be considered to save life, although we do not encourage abortion in our societies.
He advised that bearing too many children may overstretch the family resources, result to fighting over the small resources including the land and others by the siblings. “Control birth, family planning is not just biology by real,” he noted.
Dr. Ongom encouraged parents to invest in the girl-child education, just like their counterpart, boys. “Parents and the community to provide conducive opportunity and environment to promote education for girls, not to force them into early marriages for greed of bride wealth”, he said.
The Project Coordinator, Dr. Anyolitho Maxson said the expected project outcomes include enhanced or improved knowledge of adolescent Family Planning (FP) and Post-Abortion Care(PAC) services, improved Adolescents’ and caregivers’ attitudes towards FP and PAC services, increased access to and utilisation of adolescent FP and PAC services, reduced teenage pregnancy, reduced abortions, transformed and empowered adolescents, and improved health of adolescents.
Dr. Anyolito noted that the Study area comprises of 6 primary healthcare facilities, of which 2 from Health CenterIV and 4 from Health Center 3, including those from urban and rural settings, reason being Family Planning and Post Abortion Care services are provided by these facilities and evidence of high prevalence of teenage pregnancy and unmet family planning and PAC needs in northern Uganda.
According to Dr. Anyolitho, the Study Population comprises of adolescents aged 10-19 years old (primary), parents’ care givers of adolescents(secondary) religious, cultural, and political leaders and opinion leaders. Others are Lira University(tertiary), Civil society organisations, Lira City, district, and sub-county local government, ministry of health, etc.
He adds that the Study Approach comprises of Lira University Academic researchers, adolescent citizen scientists, community leaders and groups, CSOs, district, city etc.
The primary funder of the CAFFP-PAC, the 3-year project, a healthcare initiative in Northern Uganda, is the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Canadian public corporation.
On the project collaborating partners, Dr. Anyolitho named them as Lira University (Uganda), the lead institution, GLOFORD Uganda (Global Forum for Development), Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), University of Calgary (Canada) and Lira District Local Government.
The project is jointly implemented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bernard Omech, the Principal Investigator, with Co-Principal Investigators as Dr. Anyolitho Maxson, Dr. Morris Chris Ongom, Mr. Edmonton Acheka, Dr. Murara Odette, Dr. Amir Kabunga, Assoc. Prof Judith Akello Abal and Dr Samson Udho.
