Training of Nurses/Midwifery Tutors and Preceptors on Updates in Family Planning

Provision of quality family planning (FP) services is a key component of primary health care in Uganda and beyond. Overall support for the FP component of reproductive health (RH) has gradually declined over the last decade. Mobilization of resources from other sources has proved a challenge for most programmes because of several factors, one of which is competition for limited resources with other equally important priorities within the health sector and beyond. Health system strengthening actions initiated in countries in the region have, among other priorities, focused on financing human resources, infrastructure and quality of services. The overall health reform agendas of most countries provide a favorable policy environment for strengthening FP services. However, there is a need for strengthening FP systems in terms of making them more efficient. This process involves capacity building, making commodities available and strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems. It is in regards to building capacity of nurse/midwife practitioners and preceptors ECSA-HC through the college of nursing (ECSACON) in collaboration with other partners like Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH) through FAM project and Evidence Action Project (E2A) based in Washington, planned and implemented this workshop.
Over the last decade, a number of activities have been undertaken in Uganda and the region to reposition FP for sustained reduction of the unmet need in the context of broader reproductive health service provision and HIV/AIDS prevention and control programmes. Such activities include advocacy, operations research, capacity building and behavior change communication at the global, regional and national levels. In spite of these efforts, significant unmet need for FP remains. According to Uganda Demographic Health Survey the total fertility rate in Uganda for three years has been 6.2 children per woman and especially in the rural the number is high. Early pregnancy of women age 20-49 gave birth by age 18, 34% have unmet need for Family Planning, while 21% need spacing and 14% need limiting. The contraceptive prevalence rate is 30%. The demand for family planning is high and Uganda need reproductive health services utilizing the concepts and new trends in family planning. There is political will to support the provision of family planning services in Uganda. There was great need to preceptors and providers to be updated to the new trends in family planning to ensure provision of quality family planning services. 28 participants were drawn from different places who were nurse administrators, providers and preceptors in reproductive health services

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