Challenge

1.1 million refugees call Uganda home, making it Africa’s largest refugee hosting country, with refugee populations accounting for 50% or more of the total population in Adjumani and Yumbe districts. The health systems supporting the refugees and host communities are separate, however, the Government of Uganda is working to integrate the systems under “Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for All.” Currently, the implementation plan is not designed to reach marginalized and vulnerable populations and involve them in decision-making.

Solution

UHC for ME is working to establish platforms and mechanisms where marginalized individuals can speak out and hold decision makers accountable. The program is designed to simultaneously improve UHC principles of quality, equity and dignity at the point of service delivery and drive sustainable, system-wide change through UHC planning, budget and implementation processes.

Our Strategy

WRA Uganda strives to mobilize citizens to advocate for improved reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health outcomes while demanding accountability for commitments made by decision-makers. Our 2019 – 2022 Strategic Plan consolidates our learning, brings in new approaches and refreshes our vision to address the changing realities of girls and women in Uganda.

Current Campaigns

Through its recently launched UHC for Me program (2019-2021), WRA Uganda is implementing integrated social accountability and advocacy efforts in Uganda to help ensure policies, plans and budgets on UHC are equitable and inclusive. WRA Uganda is working intensively with two refugee hosting districts, Adjumani and Yumbe, to assist these priority populations to voice their demands for quality and accessible health care locally while ensuring their perspectives inform national dialogues on UHC.

Our Impact

In 2019, As part of the global What Women Want campaign, White Ribbon Alliance Uganda and partners mobilized 90,771 responses from over 30 districts across Uganda, finding that the demand for improved labor and delivery services, quality medicines and supplies, and menstrual health services were among the top responses from Uganda’s women and girls.

From 2016-2017, WRA Uganda’s youth driven “Act Now to End Teenage Pregnancy Campaign”, mobilized 120,000 Ugandan citizens to demand governmental action to reduce Uganda’s teenage pregnancy rate. After years of advocating with target decision-makers, WRA Uganda and partners accomplished something unprecedented: a multi-sectoral policy to end unintended pregnancy among teenagers, as well as collective funding allocations of US$28 million and policy actions from multiple ministries to see the strategy implemented.