“Why women shun modern birth control method”. This was one of the story ideas that were developed during the ENGAGE training which was conducted by UHCA in partnership with Makerere University School of Public Health (MUSPH). ENGAGE stands for Eliminating National Gaps, Advancing Global Equity. Although globally maternal mortality continues to be a largely preventable tragedy, affecting entire communities, the number of women needlessly dying from pregnancy-related causes continues unabated with little evidence of improvement.
Though cost-effective interventions like family planning and other reproductive health services can dramatically reduce maternal morbidity and mortality when made widely available and implemented in accordance with national policies and international standards, investment in these is still very low in Uganda. On this note, Uganda Health Communication Alliance in collaboration with Makerere University School of Public Health conducted a one month regional media training dubbed ENGAGE Project which saw four 2 day trainings between September 13 and 28th 2010 in Kampala (Central region) Mbarara (Western region), Mbale (Eastern region) and Lira (Northern and West Nile regions). This training was aimed at enabling health reporters and communication officers to report without causing stigma, report to engage the various categories of policy/decision makers and explore different ways of keeping these issues on the district policy agenda. Journalists were also sensitized to the issues contained in the Maputo Plan of Action.
The training team that comprised of communication experts from UHCA, health experts from MUSPH and senior nursing offices from Mulago National Referral Hospital trained and engaged journalists and district information officers on matters related to UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES, ABORTION AND POST-ABORTION CARE IN UGANDA”. The training was delivered in an interactive, learner-centered, participatory and experiential approach where emphasis was placed at encouraging participants to think, learn, enjoy and be inspired to seek more knowledge on reproductive health. The participants were also asked to develop story ideas, and below are story ideas that came from the four trainings.
- Why abortion has persisted in Uganda
- Why women shun modern birth control method
- Causes of high maternal death rate in Uganda
- 6,000 women die of child birth every year in Uganda
- Uganda women do not use new family planning methods
- Increasing maternal mortality rate in Uganda
- Can abortion be legalised in Uganda?
- High death rates among teenagers resulting from unsafe abortion in northern Uganda
- Myths about modern family planning methods
- Maternal health on the rise due to few health workers in Uganda
- Why women do not go for family planning services
- How culture impacts on the use of modern family planning methods
- Are men to be blamed for the increased maternal mortality rate?
- Negative attitude by male partners towards some family planning methods
As the participant developed their story ideas they cited some challenges in efforts of sensitising the public on safe abortion and family planning using modern family planning methods;
- Cultural beliefs
- Religious biasness towards some family planning methods
- Ignorance among some communities
- Negative attitudes by some communities towards some modern family planning methods
- High Illiteracy level
- Withholding of information by health practitioners
- Accessibility to the remote villages
- Hardship in interviewing minors and yet they are the most affected
- Editorial policies of different media houses on covering health issues
- Denial of accurate information by the victims
- Some information sources being harsh
