By John Kusolo
Hundreds of vulnerable people in Kampala have benefited from a free medical camp organized by Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) at Kitebi health Centre III. The event that was organised by RHU with support from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
21 – year – old Margret Ainembabazi and 19 – year – old Clen Akello arrived at Kitebi health Centre III with an aim of receiving implants that will help them space their child each for five years.
But for Doreen Okoro, 28 from Nyanama has no children, but is determined to give birth when the right time and person comes her way.
“I am not ready to give birth to a child and that is why I have received this jadelle. I am urging other women to take lead in embracing family planning services to plan and have children at the right time,” Okoro said.
Demeter Margret Namuyobo, the RHU national Coordinator for the UNFPA project told that they thought of the integrated sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) camp for vulnerable people is vital because there is a gap in SRHR health care and much worse among people with disabilities, young people and women.
Namuyobo, said that vulnerable and underserved people are the most exposed to sexually transmitted infections and diseases, lack adequate access to family planning services and commodities, yet they are the least cared about.
“The vulnerable and underserved are neglected and some die of curable sexually transmitted diseases, have no access to birth control methods, while the ones that are HIV Positive lack proper treatment,”Namuyobo said.
It is for this reason that 11 specialised health experts from the Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) and Kitebi health Centre III are performing a three day sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) camp in Kampala.
Access to integrated SRHR services and specialised surgical care remain a critical problem in Kampala, as it struggles to cope with stereotypes, misinformation and disinformation about family planning and SRHR services in general.
Since the specialised SRHR health workers arrived at Kitebi health Centre III on Monday 20, 2021 hundreds of patients, many of them visibly sick continue to crowd around tables set by the RHU and Kitebi health Centre III health workers to get tested for HIV, screened for cancer, treated and operated upon for permanent family planning methods at the free SRHR camp and general treatment.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA is supporting the specialised SRHR health workers and volunteers undertaking the medical camp with organisation, logistics, family planning commodities and medical equipment. Henry Wasswa, the Coordinator of the SRHR camp, says they have brought in enough volunteers, medical equipment and personnel to offer free quality medical services at Kitebi health Centre III to vulnerable communities in great need. As of this morning on day two, 413 people had received free SRHR services.
“The integrated sexual reproductive health and rights camp is organized to cater for the vulnerable people in Kampala, who need but are under served with family planning, cancer, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) screening and HIV testing,”Wasswa noted.
Coster Namukwaya, in – charge family planning department at Kitebi Health Centre III is delighted to have the RHU team supported by UNFPA to build the capacities of the health service providers, while offered free integrated SRHR services to the vulnerable in Kampala.
“We are grateful as health care providers at Kitebi health Centre III to acquire skills from RHU experts. Some of our health care providers are new and lack the skills to carry out most of the long-term family planning methods, ” Namukwaya said.
The SRHR camp has witnessed young people, people with disabilities and vulnerable women embrace free integrated SRHR services.
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