Religious Leaders want Health Insurance Bill enacted fast

Interfaith religious leaders under faith for family health initiative have called for action to reduce teenage pregnancy in the country  in order to prevent  child mothers and their new born babies from dying  while giving birth. 

 While delivering their message for international women's day  commemorated every 8th of  March ,the faith leaders led by the vice chairperson of faith for family health initiative also deputy Mufti Uganda Muslim supreme council Sheikh Ali Waiswa said Government should expedite the finalization and approval of  Adolescent health and  sexual reproductive health policies to guide interventions  on reducing high rates of  teenage pregnancy in the country. 

He said that if no action taken, teenage pregnancy will continue to contribute 20%of the infant deaths and 28%of maternal death in the country .

" About 64%of teenage mothers will not complete primary education level and end up in peasant agriculture work'' .

Waiswa noted  that the rate of teenage pregnancy has been stagnated at 25 percent over a decade and now considered as one of  the highest  in the Sub Saharan Africa among teenagers registered every year.

" Teenage pregnancies are more likely to occur in communities commonly driven by poverty,lack of education, social cultural and religious norms and ignorance among others".

The executive chairperson Faith for family health Initiative Jackie Katana   said they are proud as organization that the   theme for 2023  Women's day   talking about  equity   is in  line with  their mandate of  training and keeping  religious leaders   informed to mainstream messages that  advocates  for equitable access to  health services especially for young girls.

She has called  for approval of the pending policies on Adolescent  and sexual reproductive health to give clear guidelines of how issues of early marriages and teenage pregnancies can be addressed.

" In order to address so many inequalities that affect both adult and young women,we need to look at policies that are not approved so that these aspects of legal frame and information are addressed.'' Katana said 

The board member faith for Family health initiative Father Constantine Mbonabingi called for speedy enactment of the National health insurance bill with support from all stakeholders to ensure equitable health care for all especially the women and young girls of reproductive age.

 Mbonabingi said that if the bill is passed and assented too by the President, there will be a pool of resources to  ensure financial protection and quality health care for all Ugandans.

The Bishop of West Ankole diocese  Amos  Magezi  appealed to  Government to t address the  health needs among the young women    especially those going to school because most of the   teenage  girls  in his area cannot afford  sanitary towels  and  some had  dropped out of  schools due to stigmatization  .

Magezi however say that they're now moving in schools  to  speak  against stigmatization of the girls by boys especially in mixed schools , because some  of these girls may begin to menstruate  when they are not even aware if  it's their first experience.

"So we're  trying to creat awareness among the children , to know how they should take care of one  another ,to know that girls are created that way ,so that boys can take care of their sisters instead of laughing at them.

Bishop Magezi said Bishop Magezi adds  that as  as health champions ,they have also  come up with  strategics to raise money for sanitary towels of needy girls in Ibanda district.