Lira, Uganda | Local leaders and health workers from Barapwo and Ober communities in Lira City have commended the Enhancing Integration of Adolescent Family Planning and Post-Abortion Care (CAFFP-PAC) project for significantly raising awareness about adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
During a two-day dissemination workshop held on 3rd and 4th November 2025 at Barapwo Health Centre III, participants, including local government officials, health workers, Local Council chairpersons, and adolescents, praised the project’s role in addressing long-standing barriers to family planning and post-abortion care in northern Uganda.
Angole Jimmy, the Deputy Town Clerk of Lira City West Division, together with several community leaders, said the CAFFP-PAC initiative had “opened the eyes of both stakeholders and young people” by creating an open dialogue around issues that were previously considered taboo.
Participants identified several challenges affecting adolescent reproductive health, including negative community attitudes, fear of side effects from contraceptive use, stigma towards young people seeking family planning services, and limited knowledge about available options.
Dr. Maxson Kenneth Anyolitho, the Project Coordinator and Co-Investigator, explained that CAFFP-PAC uses a citizen science and gender-transformative approach to improve access to and utilisation of reproductive health services among adolescents and underserved groups in the region.
He noted that teenage pregnancy rates remain alarming, with 24% of Ugandan girls becoming pregnant by age 19, and the figure rising to 26.7% in Lira.
Only 20% of adolescents accessed family planning services in 2023, while 39.8% experienced unsafe abortions, of which just 42% received post-abortion care.
Dr. Anyolitho said Uganda’s National Adolescent Health Strategy and Health Service Standards call for the integration of adolescent-friendly services, including family planning and post-abortion care, into all primary healthcare facilities.
The three-year CAFFP-PAC project seeks to assess baseline knowledge, attitudes, and practices around family planning and post-abortion care; identify barriers to service access; co-design integrated interventions within primary healthcare facilities; and evaluate their effectiveness.
According to Dr. Anyolitho, the initiative aims to enhance adolescent knowledge, improve community attitudes, and expand access to reproductive health services.
Expected outcomes include reduced teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortions, as well as empowered and health-conscious adolescents.
The study covers six primary healthcare facilities, two Health Centre IVs and four Health Centre IIIs, across urban and rural settings, chosen for their high rates of teenage pregnancy and unmet reproductive health needs.
The project’s study population includes adolescents aged 10–19, their parents or caregivers, and local leaders, including religious, cultural, and political figures.
The CAFFP-PAC project is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Canadian public corporation.
It is implemented by Lira University in partnership with GLOFORD Uganda, Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), University of Calgary (Canada), and Lira District Local Government.
Dr. Anyolitho acknowledged the contribution of Associate Prof. Dr. Bernard Omech (Principal Investigator), Dr. Morris Chris Ongom, Mr. Edmonton Acheka, Dr. Murara Odette, Dr. Amir Kabunga, Associate Prof. Judith Akello Abal, and Dr. Samson Udho for their roles in advancing the project’s mission.
He also praised the involvement of Lira City and District leadership, adolescents, and other stakeholders, noting that their collaboration has been instrumental in promoting sustainable adolescent health outcomes in northern Uganda.
