The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Lira University with support from Center for International Reproductive Health Training-CIRHT has launched a sexual reproductive health project.
Although it was conceived as a joint program by Gulu and Lira University, they later signed a Memorandum of Understanding to independently implement the project at its Faculty of Health sciences.
The 250,000 US Dollar project aims at strengthening sexual reproductive health and rights, strengthen per-service training for doctors and midwives at the affiliated hospitals and the university, improve training environment for students at both university and hospitals, and build research capacity of faculty and clinical staff.
Anna Grace Auma, the project coordinator and a lecturer at Lira University explains that pre-service training will not only help in equipping doctors and midwives, but also cut the cost of in-service training which has been high and time consuming.
“We also plan to have continuous mentorship of students and clinical staff. Here I’m including clinical staffs because we still have clinical staff in the clinical sites that would train the students while they are in the hospital.”
Feyssa Daba Mekdes, the CIRHT Managing Director explained that this is a continuous process in addressing reproductive health issues, saying Uganda shares the same challenges with other countries on the continent.
She however notes that this can only be possible when girls and women are included in the decision making process.
Eunice Amaro, a midwife in-charge of Gynecology ward at Lira Regional Referral Hospital is excited that the project has been activated because handling reproductive health related issues has been a challenge for them.
Having witnessed the situation of children at Holy Innocent Babies Home-Ngetta, Lawrence Egole, the Lira Resident City Commissioner is optimistic that the project will help in reducing the number of abandoned babies in the sub region as well as control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
So far hospital equipment has been acquired, an audio visual recording equipment to aid online classes and recording of lectures has been installed and a family planning clinic has been initiated and is already running at the University.
******
URN
