By Patrick Opio
Senior Communications Officer
Local Leaders and Health workers from Barapwo and Ober communities in Lira City have praised the Enhancing Integration of Adolescent Family Planning and Post-Abortion Care(CAFFP-PAC) in Northern Uganda project being implemented in the area for awareness creation on adolescents’ sexual reproductive health.
Mr. Angole Jimmy, Deputy Town Clerk, Lira City West Division, Lira City, and several Local Council Leaders said the CAFFP-PAC has opened the eyes of stakeholders including the targeted adolescent youths in the area on sexual reproductive health. The revelations were made during the CAFFP-PAC participatory dissemination of baseline research results -Lira City at Barapwo Health Centre3 on 3rd and 4th November 2025.
The workshop participants included Local government technical staff, Health workers, Local Council one chairpersons, adolescent girls and boys, among others.
Among the key challenges and priority areas the participants indicated to be addressed were negative attitude of health workers and the community, fear of side effects while using family planning services, stigma from the community to the adolescents, poor knowledge and misconception on the family planning issues and services and fear of visiting health facility after using traditional herbs for carrying out abortion.
Dr. Maxson Kenneth Anyolitho, the Project Coordinator, also Co-Investigator, said, CAFFP-PAC, a Citizen Science, Gender-Transformative Approach, aims at improving access to, and utilization of Sexual Reproductive Health services by female and male adolescents and other underserved population groups in Lira, Northern Uganda.
Dr. Anyolitho said, in Uganda, Teenage pregnancy stands at 24%, in 2023, with Lira context, 26.7% of teens got pregnant. He added that 20% adolescents accessed Family Planning services during the year and of the 39.8% unsafe abortions, only 42% received Post Abortion Care.
Dr. Anyolitho said the Uganda’s National Adolescent Health Strategy and Adolescent Health Service Standards policies emphasize the integration of adolescent-friendly health services (AFHS), including access to Family Planning and Post Abortion Care.
Dr. Anyolitho said the project targets assessing the baseline knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding Family Planning and Post Abortion Care, identify barriers to and facilitators to FP & PAC access & Utilisation, co-design and implement an integration of CAFFP-PAC within PHFs, to evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated CAFFP-PAC, document and disseminate best practices and lessons learned
He said the expected Project outcomes include enhanced/improved Knowledge of adolescent FP and 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
The Study area are 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 the region.
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.
The Study Approach comprises of Lira University Academic researchers, adolescent citizen scientists, community leaders and groups, CSOs, district, city etc.
RESULTS AREA
- Knowledge regarding Adolescent Family Planning
- Attitude regarding Adolescent Family Planning
- Practices regarding Adolescent Family Planning
- Knowledge regarding Adolescent Post Abortion Care
- Attitude regarding Adolescent Post Abortion Care
- Practices regarding Adolescent Post Abortion Care
- Barriers to Access and Utilisation of Family Planning
- Barriers to access and utilisation of Post Abortion Care
- Facilitators to access and utilisation of Family Planning
- Facilitators to access and utilisation of Post Abortion Care
- Recommendations for improving Adolescent Family Planning and Post Abortion Care
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.
The Collaborating partners (who also provide support and resources) include: 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.
Dr Anyolitho acknowledged the following for their joint efforts in the project; Associate Prof. Dr. Bernard Omech (PI), Dr. Morris Chris Ongom (Co-PI), Mr. Edmonton Acheka (Co-PI), Dr. Murara Odette (Co-PI), Dr. Amir Kabunga (Co-I), Associate Prof Judith Akello Abal (Co.I), Dr Samson Udho (Co.I), Lira City and District and Adolescents and other stakeholders
