RAISE in Uganda

The armed conflict in northern Uganda, which has being going on for over 20 years, has created a large number of IDPs; some reports estimate the current number to be more than 1.2 million.

Access to general medical services in the region is limited and most humanitarian agencies are not specifically addressing sexual and reproductive health services such as family planning and post abortion care (PAC) as part of basic health care needs, despite their potential to save lives. When women suffer complications from unsafe abortions, they risk death and permanent disability from sepsis, haemorrhage and other factors. If care is not immediately available or accessible, the situation quickly grows worse: without treatment, many of the complications of unsafe abortion can kill within days or even hours.

The RAISE Initiative works with Marie Stopes Uganda in four districts of northern Uganda to provide a range of crucial sexual and reproductive health services, including PAC, for displaced women. In the coming months and years there are plans to expand outreach services in cooperation with other humanitarian aid providers.