AWAC Calls for More Awareness on Safe Motherhood and Post Abortion

18 October 2026, 8:37 pm

By Annet Nakato

The Alliance of Women Advocating for Change (AWAC) has called for increased awareness of safe motherhood services, including family planning, contraception and post-abortion care, to help women access appropriate healthcare and reduce the risks associated with unsafe abortions.

The call was made during activities commemorating Safe Motherhood Month in Bwaise, Kampala, where the organisation engaged community members and local leaders on the need to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services.

Michael Semakula, the Director of Programs at AWAC, said health is one of the organisation’s three major areas of focus, alongside economic empowerment and human rights.

Semakula said safe motherhood goes beyond pregnancy and childbirth to include access to family planning, contraception, maternal healthcare, emergency obstetric care and postnatal services.

He said women should be supported to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and prevent unintended pregnancies.

Pregnancy should not happen by accident, but by choice.

He explained that AWAC particularly focuses on vulnerable groups, including female sex workers, lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) women, and gender-expansive people, who may face violence and sexual and gender-based violence in their communities.

According to Semakula, experiences of sexual violence, including corrective rape targeting some LBQ women and gender-expansive people, can expose survivors to unintended pregnancies and other health challenges.

He said limited awareness of available sexual and reproductive health services can leave women unsure of where to seek help when faced with an unintended pregnancy, increasing their vulnerability to unsafe abortion practices.

Semakula noted that raising awareness about available healthcare options is important in ensuring that women understand their rights and know where to seek medical assistance.

He also called for wider dissemination of Uganda’s self-care and post-abortion care guidelines so that communities can understand the services available and where to access them.

People need to know that in case they face such a challenge, what do they do, and where do they go?” he said.

Semakula said the organisation chose to hold the engagement in Bwaise rather than at its offices because community-based activities allow them to reach people who are directly affected by barriers to healthcare.

He added that the engagement was also intended to strengthen advocacy by involving local leaders in discussions about the challenges women face when seeking post-abortion care.

The organisation is working with community leaders it has supported and empowered to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights within their communities, including advocating for access to post-abortion care.

Semakula said the discussions would also help identify commitments local leaders can make to improve awareness and access to services.

The commemoration was held under the message of caring for women and ending unsafe abortions in Uganda, with AWAC emphasising the need for community awareness, effective advocacy and accessible reproductive healthcare services.

The organisation said ensuring that women know where to seek care, particularly after an abortion, is an important step towards protecting their health and wellbeing.