Smart Transitions, a Non-Governmental Organization that work to sure that marginalized groups including refugees are safe, on Sunday organized a health camp, where several female refugees were given free health services in the field of Reproductive Health.
Officials from Smart Transitions said that the health camp was organized as a response to the challenges associated with moving from one phase of life or situation to another, there is limited access to basic emergency obstetric services for the Refugee Women in Uganda.
Speaking at the health camp in Nsambya, Sarah Birungi Namuddu, the Executive Director of Smart Transitions said that urban refugees still faced a lot of challenges when it comes to acquiring the sexual reproductive services
She noted that only a small proportion of deliveries are attended by skilled service providers, Sexual and Gender Based Violence is on a rise, and transmission of Sexually Transmitted infections, including HIV, among Refugees.
The camp was organized by Smart Transition in partnership with the Uganda Media Women Association (UMWA), the Public Health Ambassadors Uganda (PHAU) and Marie Stops,
Namuddu said, the “Urban Refugees” badly needed Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and yet, it was so expensive or not readily available.
Namudu noted that Smart Transition reached at this point after doing some focus group discussions with sections of Refugees in January and February 2021.
“We interacted with communities from Burundi, The Congo, Somalia, Sudan Eritrea and Ethiopia, those who could afford the services expressed incidences of discrimination or and stigma at the Health facilities,” Sarah said
The language spoken in hospitals for example is usually vernacular, which is not understood by the Refugees, she added.
According to Sarah Uganda is the third largest Refugee-hosting country in the world with a total of 1,223,003, 70% approximately women and at Reproductive age according to the UNHCR and yet the local health facilities are not able keep up to the increasing demand, hence increasing a desperate need for sexual and reproductive health services.
Namudu stressed that it was important to note that Sexual and reproductive health is a key aspect of healthcare provision which does not disappear in humanitarian situations, but instead the demand for resources and services only increases.
She therefore urged that it was crucial that the government of Uganda plans to incorporate and promote sexual and Reproductive Health Service Delivery within its emergency planning in order to meet the growing need.
“If neglected in humanitarian situations, there are likely consequences for the men, women, children and the country at large,” She added.
She said Smart Transition also understood that when there is no peace, it is Women who suffer the most economically, socially, and physical and therefore the health camp responded directly to the third and fifth Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking at the function, Laila Ndagire, the UMWA Assistant Administrator said that as women continue to celebrate their month of March, there is need to think about the marginalized women like refugees who are going through a lot of challenges.
“When we together with Smart Transition refugees they told us that they have challenges in accessing sexual reproductive health services, we decided to team up and organize this Camp today,”
Ndagire noted that UMWA will continue coming up with solutions to the problems that are affecting the marginalized group including women, who had been left behind.
Our beneficiaries are: Vulnerable Urban Refugees including Urban Refugees, Youth and Women. These are then skilled to have a footing in their life, Ndagire noted.
Smart Transition, also works with Multicultural Schools commonly known as International Schools where some of the youth face unique challenges like failing to cope with much freedom availed in a multicultural environment .Some of them end up in self-distractive behaviors among other vices.
There are approximately 100,000 Refugees that have settled in neighborhoods across the capital including Nsambya, Kisenyi, Kansanga Bukasa, Katwe, Mengo, Nakulabye, and Kazo Angola. Over half a million people are fleeing Violence and Human Rights abuses from countries such as South Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, among others.
