By Delux Emmy Alomu
NATIONAL
Government officials from Health, Education, and Gender ministries are alarmed by the persistent rates of teenage pregnancies and emphasize the urgent need for action to meet the 15 percent reduction target aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
This discussion took place during a health media café organized by The Health Journalists Network in Uganda (HEJNU) in collaboration with Palladium and BBC Media Action, where over 40 journalists participated, both in person and virtually on Thursday November 5, 2026.
Dr. Irene Mwenyango, the Assistant Commissioner for Adolescents and School Health at the Ministry of Health, highlighted that teenage pregnancy has remained stagnant for over two decades, fluctuating between 24% and 25%. This statistic indicates that one in four adolescent girls aged 15-19 is getting pregnant, often while still in school.
Dr. Mwenyango emphasized that the stagnation of teenage pregnancies presents a significant development challenge that necessitates collaboration across various sectors, including health, gender, and education, to help Uganda achieve its middle-income status.
She noted that the Government ministries have recognized the necessity of working together to meet the national goal of reducing the teenage pregnancy rate to 15% by 2030, especially considering that in the past 20 years, there has only been a minimal decrease from 25% to 24%. A shift in strategies is clearly needed.
To tackle this issue, Dr. Mwenyango mentioned a joint national strategy to end teenage pregnancy and child marriage, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Gender. This strategy includes multiple initiatives, such as empowering health workers to provide accurate information about teenage pregnancy prevention and ensuring that expectant mothers attend antenatal care visits.
“Now that they are mothers, we encourage teen moms to consider family planning methods to prevent further pregnancies, allowing them to focus on their goals. We aim to enhance access to resources through outreach efforts near schools and places of worship,” Dr. Mwenyango stated.
Francis Mondo Kyateka, the Assistant Commissioner in the Department of Youth and Children’s Affairs at the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, added that the country has been grappling with high teenage pregnancy rates for some time. He said these figures remain stubbornly high due to various contributing factors, including poverty, cultural practices, and insufficient parental guidance on how teenagers can navigate the changes they experience.
Kyateka expresses his concerns about the role of parents in nurturing and guiding their children. He highlights a troubling statistic: over 2 million pupils enrolled in Primary One, yet only 900,000 participated in the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) this week. He questions where the missing 1.1 million pupils have gone over the past seven years, suggesting a loss of focus on human capital development as outlined in the National Development Plan IV.
The Assistant Commissioner stresses the urgent need to account for these missing children. He points out that many have been adversely affected by early pregnancies or have been married off, an issue that ought to concern the community.
Reported statistics on HIV/AIDS are alarming, with approximately 1.75 million individuals living with the virus, and last year alone seeing 34,000 new infections and 20,000 related deaths calculated for 2025. He emphasizes that those at risk of becoming pregnant are also vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, as both issues share similar channels of transmission. This highlights the necessity of careful management of access to family planning resources.
Kyateka remarks that the high school dropout rate reflects a national crisis, mirroring the severity of teenage pregnancies. He asserts that action is required from everyone—this isn’t solely a government or health issue but a collective responsibility that demands our immediate attention to mitigate its harmful effects.
He expresses concern about the persistence of entrenched cultural norms, urging collaboration with cultural leaders to enact change. “For instance, in Amudat District, a girl who undergoes female genital mutilation, even at a young age of ten, becomes a candidate for marriage. Meanwhile, in Lyantonde District, there’s a practice where a girl may vanish for a week and return potentially pregnant, leading to dowry negotiations,” Kyateka notes.
Furthermore, he critiques damaging attitudes towards girls, referencing a saying in Buganda that commodifies daughters by comparing them to sugar.
“Our girls are not commodities for sale. It’s crucial that we keep them in school, as education serves as a powerful form of family planning,” he insists.
what government is doing to address teenage pregnancies
Regarding government efforts to combat teenage pregnancies, he notes various initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), Youth Livelihood Program, Uganda Women Enterprise Program, and GROW Program. These efforts are designed to shift societal perceptions, so that children are no longer viewed as commodities.
Kyateka suggests a deeper investigation into the root causes of teenage pregnancies, emphasizing that they may stem from lack of awareness, misguided cultural beliefs, or recklessness.
The government is set to introduce national guidelines aimed at enhancing health education and life skills, with a particular focus on addressing the challenges of teenage pregnancies. This initiative aims to raise awareness among young individuals about the complexities surrounding teenage pregnancy.
Earlier this week, the education ministry unveiled a national framework for health education and life skills. This framework is designed to guide efforts in empowering young girls, boys, and parents to tackle the issue of school dropouts effectively.
The gender ministry, in collaboration with various development partners and government agencies, has also developed national parenting guidelines. These guidelines aim to clarify parental responsibilities. Additionally, a national family policy is currently under review by the cabinet for discussion and approval.
“We often feel that families in Uganda are struggling. Many children are living independently without proper support. So, how do we revive the essence of family?” he remarked.
Furthermore, the ministry is reviewing the national employment policy of 2026, along with both the national employment strategy and the NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) strategy.
“We need to implement a multisectoral approach to combat and eliminate the issues of teenage pregnancies, early marriages, and child marriages in our country,” he urged.
Dr. Richard Kabanda, the commissioner in charge of health promotion, education, and strategic communication within the health ministry, emphasized the importance of fostering collaboration with young people and the media as part of everyday programming.
He noted that efforts achieved without their involvement are unlikely to be sustained at the community level, especially since they represent a significant portion of the population.
Dr. Kabanda also pointed out the necessity of building and expanding networks for young people in today’s busy world, recognizing that many may not have the time to engage fully. It’s vital to empower children and youth, facilitating peer-to-peer interactions in culture, language, and social norms. Without this, they may face significant challenges.
He highlighted the need to create environments that empower young people to make their own decisions. It’s crucial to cultivate a culture of reading and ensure we document and communicate policies that benefit young individuals in a way that resonates with them.
Dr. Kabanda identified integrating HIV awareness into this agenda as one of the primary priorities that must be pushed forward.
Henry Ssemakula, the principal education officer in the Department of University Education Training and a key member of the team overseeing school health within the Ministry of Education and Sports, has acknowledged that teenage pregnancy poses a significant challenge in the country.
He emphasized that this issue cannot be ignored, which is why they are actively providing crucial information to help young people avoid early pregnancies. To support this initiative, they have launched a life skills and health education framework aimed at guiding all stakeholders in disseminating vital knowledge.
Ssemakula pointed out that teenage pregnancies increased notably during the COVID-19 lockdown, highlighting the essential role parents play in addressing this issue. He also noted that individuals with special needs face even greater difficulties concerning challenges like teenage pregnancy.
To combat teenage pregnancies, Ssemakula stated that they are committed to providing adolescent health information in educational institutions, offering guidance and counseling in schools, promoting matters relevant to both girls and boys, and supporting individuals with special needs.
Dr. Betty Kyaddondo, a leading Ugandan expert in public health and population, stated that this café seeks to uncover the reasons behind the persistent issue of teenage pregnancies in Uganda for over two decades and aims to encourage the media to promote this message widely, as high fertility rates negatively impact the country’s development indicators.
Esther Mubiru Nakkazi, president of HEJNU, emphasized the importance of journalism in addressing teenage pregnancies in affected districts and called on media practitioners to raise awareness about adolescent health and foster community discussions on prevention.
HENJU is an independent, non-profit organization that has been dedicated to enhancing public awareness of healthcare issues in Uganda for over ten years. It hosts health cafes and various activities that foster interactions between health journalists and experts in the field.
BBC Media Action serves as the BBC’s official international development charity, leveraging independent media and communication to combat poverty, enhance health, and uphold human rights around the world.
