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Kampala, Uganda, 6 December 2022 —  Over 4,000 girls under 18 years reported for their first Antenatal Care (ANC) visit at various ̽����ѡ supported health facilities in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement between Jan 2020 - Sep 2022. Furthermore, nearly 2,000 teenage deliveries were reported at the various health facilities in the same period.* 

As the world marks the , the ̽����ѡ warns of the effects of early pregnancy and sexual exploitation on the wellbeing of adolescent girls in emergency situations. This year’s theme “UNITE! Activism to end violence against women and girls” calls for concerted efforts to protect at risk girls and women from gender-based violence.

Elijah Okeyo, ̽����ѡ Uganda Country Director said,

“With all focus drawn to the COVID-19 response and now the Ebola outbreak in Uganda, some critical sectors and social services have been deprioritised. Several vulnerable girls are unfortunately at higher risk of sexual exploitation and violence, and this has become a chronic problem. Getting pregnant would force these teenage girls out of school and deprive them of opportunities to make a decent livelihood. It is high time attention is brought back to key sectors such as education, child protection and targeted sexual health and rights information and services for young girls and boys.”

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation coupled with sexual reproductive health services that protect children from abuse, and provision of opportunities for girls to stay in or go back to school are critical to curb this growing challenge. The ̽����ѡ through different programmes, including health and Women Protection and Empowerment is reaching out to these girls to provide information and services in addition to encouraging them to go back to school.

One of the ̽����ѡ clients from Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement, 19-year-old, Moreen said:

“I attended all the sessions under the programme including ‘Sarah’s story’. This session gave me hope, especially the part about education that showed me that I wasn’t too late to go back to school to achieve my dream. Before all this [pregnancy], I had a dream of becoming a lawyer and I realised I can still achieve that dream if I go back to school. So, I decided then that I will go back to school.” 

The ̽����ѡ began programming in northern Uganda in 1998 in response to mass displacement wrought by the Lord's Resistance Army. Since then, the ̽����ѡ has expanded to provide critical services for refugees and at-risk Ugandans throughout the country. The ̽����ѡ started supporting refugees and vulnerable individuals in Kampala in 2012 and was one of the first organisations to respond in 2016 at the onset of the South Sudanese refugee crisis. As of 2019, the ̽����ѡ entered Tooro to support refugees while also providing epidemic preparedness and response services throughout the region. In addition to emergency support, the ̽����ѡ also invests in long-term stability for refugees and Ugandans through programs like immunisation, family planning, legal services, women's protection and empowerment, education, and livelihoods. Earlier this year, the ̽����ѡ was also involved in supporting Afghan evacuees in Uganda.

*Note: Figures shown here indicate the number of girls visiting ̽����ѡ facilities in Bidi Bidi settlement for ANC and deliveries. This doesn’t represent the absolute numbers on ground.