Action 4 Health Uganda Launches AMUKA Project to Fight Teenage Pregnancy in Oyam

26 September 2026, 1:58 pm

By Eman Yonah Oruk

Oyam District leaders have been urged to intensify efforts to address teenage pregnancy, child marriage and HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women.

The call was made during the official district inception meeting for Action 4 Health Uganda’s AMUKA project, whose goal is to rise up against teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS among adolescents and young women in Oyam District.

The meeting was held on 26 September 2026 at Jareen Hotel in Oyam Town Council.

The Commissioner for Youth and Children Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Mondo Kyateka, urged Oyam leaders to take stronger and coordinated action against teenage pregnancy, child marriage and HIV.

Kyateka said teenage pregnancy and child marriage should not be treated solely as health issues, but require collective action from government, communities, parents and young people.

He called on the country to stop normalising teenage pregnancy and child marriage, saying children should not be forced into parenthood before they are ready.

Kyateka said Uganda continues to face high levels of unplanned pregnancies, which contribute to teenage pregnancy and challenges affecting child welfare.

He challenged local leaders to utilise existing government structures and community institutions to bring measurable improvements to the lives of children.

Conclusively,Kyateka commended Action 4 Health Uganda for choosing Oyam District and urged local leaders to make child protection a priority, saying investment in children is essential for the country’s human capital development and he said the national teenage pregnancy rate is about 24.5 percent, while Oyam’s rate is higher, describing the situation as a concern that requires collective action.

Kyateka said the Ministry of Gender will continue working with Action 4 Health Uganda and pledged support for the programme in Oyam for at least 36 months.

Meanwhile, Oyam District LC5 Chairperson Nelson Adea Akar appreciated Action 4 Health Uganda for selecting Oyam for the intervention and he linked some of the challenges facing young people in the district to the effects of the insurgency, poverty and displacement, which left many children growing up in internally displaced people’s camps under difficult living conditions.

He called on Action 4 Health Uganda to pay special attention to trading centres such as Kamdini, which he said experience high numbers of long-distance trucks and travellers, some of whom may engage in relationships with underage girls.

Assistant Resident District Commissioner Ayub Tenywa welcomed Action 4 Health Uganda and said the security team and the Office of the President were ready to cooperate with the organisation, provided its activities remain in line with government programmes and policies.

Tenywa emphasised the importance of working closely with local leaders and using existing government structures from the grassroots to the district level.He also called for attention to cultural practices and household arrangements that may expose adolescents to risks, urging communities to embrace positive changes where certain practices contribute to social problems.

Tenywa emphasised the importance of working closely with local leaders and using existing government structures from the grassroots to the district level.

He also called for attention to cultural practices and household arrangements that may expose adolescents to risks, urging communities to embrace positive changes where certain practices contribute to social problems.

Action 4 Health Uganda Chief Executive Officer Sarah Kinto called for a coordinated approach involving district political and technical leaders, justice officials, security agencies and other stakeholders because fight against teenage pregnancy and HIV requires a mobilised and collective effort from all stakeholders and like-minded individuals.

Meanwhile, Action 4 Health Uganda Programme Lead Miriam Cherykut presented findings from a feasibility study conducted before the launch of the intervention.

She said the organisation, working with the German Foundation for World Population, DSW, found that Oyam faces significant challenges related to teenage pregnancy, HIV and sexual and reproductive health among adolescent girls and young women.

According to the study, Oyam recorded an average teenage pregnancy rate of about 26 percent between 2022 and 2024.

Cherykut said District Health Information System data for 2024 placed Oyam’s teenage pregnancy rate at 27.3 percent, which is higher than the national rate.

She said the study also identified gaps in HIV knowledge and access to sexual and reproductive health services among adolescents and young women.

Cherykut added that HIV prevalence was disproportionately higher among girls and young women, while viral-load suppression among adolescents living with HIV was lower than among other population groups, highlighting the need for stronger adolescent-friendly HIV services.

The feasibility study identified Kamdini Sub-county, Oyam Town Council, Minakulu Sub-county, Abok Sub-county and Iceme Sub-county as areas requiring particular attention because of their relatively high teenage pregnancy rates.

Speaking at the meeting, Reverend Canon Robert Edinga, Vice and Archdeacon of Oyam Urban Archdeaconry, identified school dropout as one of the major factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in Oyam.

Edinga said school enrolment is usually high in the lower primary classes but drops significantly as pupils progress towards Primary Seven, particularly among girls.

He urged the project and other stakeholders to address the issue of school dropout and strengthen child protection mechanisms.

Edinga also raised concern about cases where sexual offences are settled through negotiated agreements at community or police level, saying such practices may fail to send a strong warning against sexual abuse of children.

Conclusively he said the Church of Uganda has structures such as the Mothers’ Union, Fathers’ Union, Youth Ministry and Sunday School that could be used to support efforts aimed at addressing challenges affecting adolescents.

He also raised concern over late-night markets in Oyam, saying they may expose young people to risks and called for stakeholders to examine the issue.

The launch of the Action 4 Health Uganda AMUKA project comes at a time when Oyam District continues to face challenges related to teenage pregnancy, child marriage, HIV infections and school dropout.