At least 700,000 Ugandan couples will access family planning services under a five year programme “Accelerating Rise in contraceptive Prevalence Rates (ARC)”.

The program is funded by USAID and UKAID. The programme aims at reducing unwanted pregnancies in the Country.

The Managing Director Uganda health marketing group (UHMG) Emily Katarikawe said the couples will access the services through social marketing.

A sh97.5 billion ARC program will be implemented by Marie Stopes Uganda (MSU) and Uganda health Marketing Group.

Katarikawe said the ARC project is supporting the organization to reach 90 districts with family planning services.

Katarikawe added that they expect to provide the population with 8000 IUDs, 3 million injectaplan, 1.7 million cycles of pills and about 12 million condoms.

Speaking at the Launch of the ARC Program at Wakiso health Center IV the Commissioner health Service Dr. Anthony Mbonye urged health workers to screen and find appropriate methods of family planning for men and women.

“We have trained our health workers so that they know family planning methods and explain their side effects so that people take the methods and know the likely side effects. As a ministry we support all methods of family planning and we want them available at every point of care,” Mbonye said.

The joint program will provide family planning choices to almost 1.5 million men and women to 2015.

USAID Mission Director Leslie Reed said the joint support to the UHMG program has resulted in the accreditation of 238 new health facilities that will provide family planning, and two new pharmacies have been opened in Arua and Mbale districts to improve access to contraceptives.

“Increased uptake of voluntary family planning will have a direct positive impact on our overall assistance portfolio which includes support in the areas of health, agriculture, Education, and democracy and governance,” Reed said.

The Country director MSU Jon Cooper said his organization will deliver family planning services to Ugandan women which includes; 212,000 IUDs, 455,000 Implants in addition to 194,000 sterilizations.

By Violet Nabatanzi, The New Vision