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Nafissatou Diop, the Senior Program Specialist, Global Health, International Development Research Centre (IDRC) announced that the Addressing Neglected areas of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa (AneSA) Initiative and IDRC has approved a total amount of CA $ 1,188,500.00 over 36 months for the Adolescent Youth Reproductive Health project in Lira, northern Uganda. The grant award under Grant No. 110713, approved on December 16, 2024, will commence on January 1, 2025, with planned activities.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Benard Omech of Lira University who is the Principal Investigator, reveals that Lira University is honoured to have won a prestigious grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada.

He adds that the project titled “Enhancing Integration of Adolescent Family Planning and Post-Abortion Care in Northern Uganda: A Citizen Science, Gender-Transformative Approach” (CAFFP-PAC), seeks to contribute to adolescents’ empowerment, reduced gender inequities, and reduce teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortions in Northern Uganda.

 This award for the CAFFP-PAC project according to Prof Omech, highlights Lira University’s commitment to addressing critical issues in sexual and reproductive health and rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He adds that the Project is a partnership between Lira University as the Principal Applicant, Global Forum for Development, Uganda (GLOFORD), Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), Lira district and Lira City, and the University of Calgary (UC) in Canada, as Co-Principal Applicants. He extends his warmest congratulations to the team of lecturers namely, Dr Amir Kabunga, Dr Maxson Kenneth Anyolitho, Associate Professor Judith Akello Abal, Mr Samson Udho, Mr. Eustes Kigongo and others, for their dedication to this important work.

Dr. Omech congratulates the partners for the great teamwork exhibited during the proposal development and eagerly anticipate the positive impact of the CAFFP-PAC project on adolescents in northern Uganda. He is confident that the CAFFP-PAC project will make a significant impact on the lives of adolescents in northern Uganda.

Project Abstract

ANeSA is a seven-year CAD29.9-million initiative funded by IDRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Global Affairs Canada. Its primary objective is to support greater realization of critical sexual and reproductive health and rights by underserved populations in Africa. ANeSA will generate and promote the use of high-quality evidence on sustainable, scalable interventions to transform service design and delivery, strengthen the development and implementation of policies and legal instruments, and build equitable and sustainable health systems. The five neglected thematic areas: family planning/contraceptive use, access to safe abortion care where legally permitted and post-abortion care, adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights, prevention of sexual and gender-based violence and improving services to its victims, advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights.  

Implementation Research projects were selected through an externally-reviewed open call for proposals.  

This project addresses thematic areas of family planning/contraceptive use, access to safe abortion care where legally permitted and post-abortion care, and advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Northern Uganda has a teenage pregnancy rate exceeding the national average. The project aims to improve access and use of sexual and reproductive health services by adolescents and other underserved population groups in Lira, Northern Uganda, through integrated Comprehensive Adolescent Friendly Family Planning-Post Abortion Care (CAFFP-PAC) using a citizen science gender transformative approach. CAFFP-PAC is a package of evidence-based interventions incorporated in the Uganda National Adolescent Health Strategy and Adolescent Health Service Standards. However, the top-down approach overlooks contextual realities. This project involves adolescents, parents/caregivers, healthcare providers and community leaders in co-designing and implementing interventions to foster ownership and sustainability.

The project will be delivered in three phases: 1) Assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices & identify barriers and facilitators to family planning and post-abortion care services, emphasizing gender and intersectional inequities; 2) Co-design and implement CAFFP-PAC; and 3) Evaluate and disseminate lessons learned.

General objective: To improve access to, and utilization of SRH services by female and male adolescents and other underserved population groups in Lira, Northern Uganda through an integrated CAFFP-PAC using a citizen science gender transformative approach (CS-GTA).

Specific objectives:  

  1. To assess the baseline knowledge, attitude, and practices of adolescents regarding family planning and post-abortion care in Lira, Northern Uganda.
  2. To engage citizen scientists in identifying barriers to and facilitators for accessing and utilizing family planning and post-abortion care services in Lira, Northern Uganda.
  3. To co-design and implement an integrated CAFFP-PAC using a citizen science gender-transformative approach to improve access to, and utilization of SRH services in Lira, Northern Uganda.
  4. To evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated CAFFP-PAC using a citizen science gender-transformative program to improve access to, and utilization of family planning and post-abortion care services in Lira, Northern Uganda.
  5. To document and disseminate best practices and lessons learned from implementing the integrated CAFFP-PAC using a citizen science gender-transformative approach in Lira, Northern Uganda.

The End…

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