OUR PLANET, OUR HEALTH. WORLD HEALTH DAY
OUR PLANET, OUR HEALTH. WORLD HEALTH DAY
April 7, 2022
WORLD MALARIA DAY 2022.
WORLD MALARIA DAY 2022.
April 25, 2022

The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. –Nathaniel Branden.

This is a process that seeks to inform and educate people about a topic or issue to influence their attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs towards the achievement of a defined purpose or goal.

Raising awareness can mobilize the power of public opinion in support of an issue and thereby influence the political will of decision-makers.

Love Uganda Foundation is trying to address some issues which are;

  • Underage marriages and teenage pregnancies
  • Domestic violence
  • HIV/AIDS pandemic
  • Child abuse

We encourage you to join us in raising awareness on the following issues at hand.

First, Underage marriages and teenage pregnancies.

Child marriage is a painful reality for far too many girls in Uganda. They are driven by the scourge of family poverty and norms that favor boys over girls.

In Uganda, according to UNICEF 5 million girls/women are married off before the age of 18. Around 1.3 million girls are married off before the age of 15.

According to the ministry of health, 25 percent of Ugandan teenagers become pregnant by the age of 19. Close to half are married before their 18th birthday and continue having babies into their mid-40s. Complicated births and abortions, often requiring emergency obstetric care, are common among adolescent girls. Teenage mothers don’t have access to adequate reproductive health care and die while trying to give life.

As a result, their education and childhood are cut short hence their futures are closed down. Therefore, it is for this matter that we call upon you to join us in ending child marriages and teenage marriages to ensure that they can go back to school and determine their future without limitations.

 

Secondly, child abuse is one of the key issues in Uganda that need to be addressed.

In Uganda, there was an increase in child abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown where children were exposed to more sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and neglect.

Many children lack adequate protection. They face violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, exclusion, and/or discrimination. They are unable to grow, develop, achieve their dreams, and survive as a result of such violations.

Governments, communities, local governments, and non-governmental organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations, address child abuse. Through this, children grow up in a family environment. Protecting children allows them to survive, grow, learn, and develop to their fullest potential. So it is for this matter that we ask you to join our awareness program to spread the news about child abuse as a way of ending it in our communities and the country at large.

 

THEN HIV/AIDS;

According to the African Health Sciences survey on HIV epidemiology in Uganda shows that: currently, HIV prevalence is highest in the central region (10.4%) due to its urbanization and location of the capital city.

In Uganda as of the end of 2020, 1,431,553 people were living with HIV, of which 88,331 were children younger than 15 years old. The 1,275,306 people living with HIV in Uganda are on ART, with 1,267,521 being virally suppressed. A total of 86% are receiving ART, up from 83% in 2020. Children are estimated to have a prevalence rate of 0.5% and adults at 6.2%.

Approximately 1.5 million Ugandans are infected with HIV, mostly acquired through heterosexual transmission; only 10% acquired HIV via mother-child transmission. Mother-child transmission was as high as 26% in two studies. Some 400,000 to 500,000 Ugandans have died from HIV/AIDS.

Although there are measures put around to prevent people from being affected with HIV, many cannot access them. For example condoms, PrEP, and those who are HIV positive are unable to access the ARVs in hospitals.

When it comes to the youth they find it hard to access the health centers where they can get checked for HIV/AIDS or even get the medicine. This is because of the questions and negativity they find in the places where they go to get the services. Yet many are willing to have the check-up done.

So this is where you come in to comfort them, create awareness and restore hope to those who have lost. Join us at the End Equalities, End AIDS campaign.

Finally domestic violence in Uganda.

United Nations defines domestic violence as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person.

Frightening, intimidating, terrorizing, manipulating, hurting, humiliating, blaming, injuring, or wounding someone is included in this. Anyone can experience domestic abuse, regardless of their race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, faith, or class.

Gender-based violence refers to harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender this is according to UNHCR. Both men and women go through this but women and girls are the most affected. So many women and girls go through this in the communities and the country at large. Many women and girls are raped and harassed and others go through Female genital mutilation.

There is a need to educate women and girls about their rights, and to also tell them not to keep quiet about what is affecting them instead raise their voices.

Join us in raising awareness of domestic violence so that we end the problem in our communities and the country at large.

CALL FOR ACTION.

Your donations, sponsorships, volunteering, and joining the cause are all ways of raising awareness. Join Love Uganda Foundation to educate people about topics that are new to them and encourage them to participate in bringing change.

We thank you.

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