Uganda’s teenage pregnancy fight must begin at home, government officials say

6 November 2026, 10:49 am

By Byamukama Alozious

Uganda’s fight against teenage pregnancy must begin at home, with parents and communities taking greater responsibility for protecting children, government officials have said.

Mondo Kyateeka, Commissioner for Youth and Children’s Affairs at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, says protecting children should not be left to parents alone but should involve the entire community.

Speaking during the Second Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Media Community of Practice Science Café for Journalists, Kyateeka called for a return to the African saying that it takes a village to raise a child.

“Can we have a child who belongs to the entire village, and the child be brought up by the village, loved and protected?” he asked.

The Science Café was organised by the Health Journalists Network in Uganda (HEJNU), in partnership with BBC Media Action and the Media Challenge Initiative (MCI), with support from Palladium under the WISH Policy and Systems programme.

The meeting brought journalists and experts together to discuss teenage pregnancy, examine existing interventions and identify ways different sectors can work together to prevent it.

Kyateeka, however, warned that some children are abused by people they know and trust, including close relatives.

He referred to cases of sexual abuse and incest reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many children were out of school and spent more time at home.

He urged parents to be more involved in their children’s lives and called on communities to report abuse and help protect children.

“How close are you as a parent to your children? Are you supervising your children? Do you know your children where they are at any point?” he asked.

His concerns come as Uganda continues to struggle with high teenage pregnancy rates. The 2022 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS), released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), found that 23.5 per cent of girls aged 15–19 had begun childbearing.

The figure has changed little since 2006, despite several government campaigns and strategies to address teenage pregnancy.

The challenge also varies across regions, with Busoga and Bukedi recording higher levels than Kigezi.

Figures from the Busoga Joint Health Sector Performance Review for 2025/2026 show that 419 girls below the age of 15 attended antenatal care in health facilities across the sub-region. The review also recorded 27,528 births among adolescents aged 15–19.

Kyateeka said the problem is also linked to parental neglect, expressing concern about children abandoned or left without proper care.

He said the Ministry of Gender continues to receive children in need of protection at its reception centres, including those affected by parental neglect.

He urged parents to consider their ability to care for children before having them, saying the responsibility of providing food, education, protection and love rests primarily with parents.

“Why produce 10 if you cannot afford to look after two?” he asked.

He added that every child, including children with disabilities, deserves access to education, healthcare, protection and other opportunities.

Dr Irene Mwenyango, Assistant Commissioner for the Adolescent and School Health Division at the Ministry of Health, said teenage pregnancy cannot be addressed by the health or education sectors alone.

“Teenage pregnancy is not solely an education issue or a health issue; it cuts across sectors,” she said.

“Until we stop working in silos and begin coordinating our interventions, we will continue addressing symptoms instead of root causes.”

She said preventing teenage pregnancy requires cooperation between government ministries, families, schools, communities and other institutions.

Uganda’s second National Strategy to End Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy, covering 2022/2023 to 2026/2027, provides for coordinated action involving different sectors.

However, as the strategy approaches its June 2027 end date, questions remain about how much progress has been made and whether the interventions are reaching the communities most affected.

Dr Mwenyango also noted that although sexual and reproductive health services are available, many young people still face challenges accessing and using them.

She pointed to administrative and funding challenges affecting youth-serving centers and particularly following reductions in donor support.

A 2025 study by the Guttmacher Institute, conducted with Makerere University School of Public Health, also highlighted gaps in young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health information and services in Uganda.

The research identified social stigma, harmful social norms and other barriers that continue to affect young people’s access to services.

A 2022 study by UNFPA and the National Population Council estimated that teenage pregnancy costs Uganda more than Shs645 billion annually.

The consequences go beyond healthcare costs, with many teenage mothers failing to return to school after childbirth.

A 2025 analysis by the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) found that about seven in ten teenage mothers do not return to school.

The findings raise concerns about the implementation of the Ministry of Education and Sports’ 2020 guidelines, which provide for the prevention and management of teenage pregnancy in schools and the return of teenage mothers to education.

The discussions highlighted the need for different institutions to take practical steps towards preventing teenage pregnancy.

The Science Café also highlighted the need for journalists to go beyond reporting teenage pregnancy figures and investigate what is working, what is failing and what can be done differently.