We Want Birth Control: Reproductive Health Findings in Northern Uganda

Five members of the Women’s Refugee Commission and one person from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) came to northern Uganda for two weeks in February 2007. We visited camps and health centers in Pader and Kitgum, as well as a youth center in Gulu. We met with 80 men and 140 women in 10 group discussions. We interviewed representatives of local and international NGOs and UN agencies, members of the Ministry of Health and district-level health officials. Listening to the people in northern Uganda was very important because we learned directly from them about their sexual and reproductive health needs. We will use their stories, information and advice to inform the international organizations and the Ugandan government about what matters most to the people of northern Uganda. We are extremely grateful to have met with them and for their permission to let us share the information they gave us in a responsible way.