Uganda Social Marketing Conference Meeting the Unmet Need for Family Planning Through Workplace Activations.   Herbert Muhumuza1, Geofrey Kasumba1, Francis Nsanga1, Paul Lemi1, Denis Ahairwe1, Joyce Namirimo Tamale1 1Uganda Health Marketing Group (UHMG)

Introduction In Uganda, 44 percent of pregnancies are unplanned (UDHS 2016). There is not much variation in levels of unmet need for family planning across women’s age groups. One-third of adolescents (15-19)—and women aged 40-44—have an unmet need, compared to about 36 percent of women between the ages of 20 and 39 (UBOS 2012). Women aged 45-49 have the lowest level of unmet need (24 percent). Almost twice as many of the poorest women have unmet need for family planning estimated at 42% compared to the wealthiest women estimated at 23% (UBOS 2012). Currently, working couples are faced with a challenge of lack of time to access FP counselling, knowledge, services and making product choices.

Intervention UHMG conducts workplace activations, intended to reach the working couples at their work places with information, products and services to enable them make informed choices on the various family planning products and services. Family planning at the work place targets corporate entities, factories and markets since the nature of work in these places leaves many without time to go for family planning services.

Methodology The activations are divided into two segments; factories and non-factories. In the factories, given the diverse nature of staff, our service providers conduct discussions and counselling sessions focused on family planning with all staff, then set up service points for those in need of immediate services. A mobile clinic (bus) and a tent are used to offer Injectables, Pills, IUDs and Implants. In the non-factory settings like banks, plantations, static and make-shift markets, customer care call centers a service delivery room is setup. Satisfied users of different methods provide testimonies and experiences to re-enforce the message from the health providers.

Results Through the workplace activations approach, UHMG has reached 120 populous work places in the last 14 months across Uganda. The workplace activations have been conducted in factories, markets, bakeries, grain millers; notable among them included Bugambe tea estate, Oil Palm Uganda LTD, Jinja Central Market, Kakira Sugar Works, Pramukh Steel Works, Kamuli Sugar Factory, Mbale central market, Bugisu Corporative Union, Mt. Elgon Millers, and Toyota Millers among others. Altogether, UHMG has reached 5,503 individuals, serving 2,637 women with family planning methods of their choice, excluding condoms in 14 months. This resulted into 1,508 couple years of protection (CYPs).

Western and Central results

Eastern Region results

Lessons learnt In some workplace activation sites, we realized that the uptake of family planning services was even higher than anticipated. User-initiated demand for family planning services where some factories requested for additional activation activities in their premises. We also learnt that it’s critical to integrate HIV counselling and testing services alongside family planning for maximum programmatic impact from this intervention.

Male workers at Pramukh Steel Rolling Mills, Masese accessing condoms from the mobile clinic.

FP activations at Njeru open market in Jinja

FP counselling session at Banyankore Kweterana Cooperative society Mbarara

Buwenge Central market FP Activations

Men being trained in different FP methods during lunch time at Kamuli Sugar works Limited.

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