First Lady of Uganda Calls for Family Planning

First Lady of Uganda, Janet Museveni

In her keynote address at the opening plenary, First Lady of Uganda, Janet Museveni, urged that family planning be given greater attention in Uganda, and around the world.

Throughout Uganda, the First Lady is known as a great champion of health for children and mothers. In this address, she cited the “unacceptable” maternal death rate of 435 deaths per 100,000 live births and linked maternal death to a high rate of death in children under five years of age.

Among actions that are effective in reducing maternal death—antenatal care, emergency obstetric care, and birth attendants—she included family planning. “For some reason,” she said, “family planning as a concept has been misunderstood and maligned. We need to correct the image of family planning.” She urged that men contribute to family planning; “they have a role to play beyond conception,” she joked.

Referring to Uganda’s success in mobilizing against HIV/AIDS, she said that the impressive drop in the HIV prevalence rate is “a good example of what we can achieve in maternal health. Even a working country such as Uganda … backed by effective leadership … can do it.”

In closing, she said, “It is my sincere hope that a real breakthrough will be achieved here.”