Health Ministry Calls for stronger Youth Health Awareness Campaigns
By Peterson Hiirya
The Ministry of Health has urged journalists and stakeholders to strengthen health awareness campaigns targeting young people amid concerns over teenage pregnancies, declining HIV/AIDS awareness and other preventable diseases.
The call was made during a Media Science Café organised by the Health Journalists Network in Uganda (HEJNU) on November 5, 2026, bringing together journalists and officials from the Ministries of Health, Education and Sports, and Gender, Labour and Social Development to discuss Uganda’s stagnating teenage pregnancy rates and possible interventions.
Dr. Richard Kabanda, Head of Health Promotion at the Ministry of Health, challenged journalists to make youth engagement part of their daily programming and communicate health information in language young people understand.
Kabanda expressed concern over declining HIV/AIDS awareness among young people, noting that many have not experienced the devastating effects of the epidemic compared to older generations. He urged the media to revive HIV prevention campaigns and strengthen peer-to-peer networks to encourage young people to share health information.
He also called for young people to be actively involved in decisions affecting their wellbeing, adding that fighting ignorance, preventing diseases and addressing poverty should be key priorities. He further encouraged students to complete their education and acquire professional skills to achieve economic independence.
Dr. Irene Mweyango, Assistant Commissioner for Adolescent and School Health at the Ministry of Health, said teenage pregnancy in Uganda has remained between 24 and 25 per cent for more than two decades, with approximately one in every four girls aged 15 to 19 becoming pregnant.
She said government is targeting a reduction to 15 per cent by 2030 through coordinated interventions across different sectors.
Dr Mweyango urged pregnant teenagers to seek antenatal care, deliver at health facilities and embrace family planning to prevent repeat pregnancies.
She also highlighted parental rejection, abandonment by partners and interrupted education as some of the challenges facing teenage mothers, calling for stronger community outreaches and engagement of religious and cultural leaders.
Meanwhile, Henry Semakula, Principal Education Officer at the Ministry of Education and Sports, said schools have a responsibility to keep learners in education while providing appropriate reproductive health information.
He highlighted the National Framework on Life Skills and Health Education, emphasizing the roles of parents, teachers, religious leaders and communities in guiding and protecting children. He also called for stronger school guidance and counseling services, particularly for vulnerable learners and those with special needs.
The discussion, moderated by Esther Mubiru Nakkazi, President of HEJNU, underscored the need for stronger collaboration between the media, government institutions, parents and communities in addressing adolescent health challenges.
