Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract NACNDC/19JASH037 (Oral 2D) | Published: 04 Dec 2025
Ronah Niyigaba1,&, Patience Asibazuyo1, Hakim Kalungi1, Fedrick Ogwal1, Budya Augustino1, Sandra Akite1, Jessica Ikiring1
1International Rescue Committee, Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, Yumbe district, Uganda
&Corresponding author: Niyigaba Ronah (Medical Officer), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Email: nronah728@gmail.com
Received: 11 Sep 2025, Accepted: 20 Oct 2025, Published: 04 Dec 2025
Domain: Sexual and Reproductive Health
Keywords: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH); refugee health; pregnancy mapping, high-risk pregnancy; maternal health outcomes
©Niyigaba Ronah et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Niyigaba Ronah et al., Access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services among the refugee population in Bidibidi settlement, Yumbe district Uganda. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc6):037. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO6-00037
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) supports refugee and host populations in Uganda, including in the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, Yumbe District. To strengthen maternal health outcomes and improve access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services, IRC conducted a pregnancy mapping activity to identify pregnant women—especially those at high risk and link them to timely antenatal and delivery care.
With support from the BPRM grant, IRC conducted a 3-day pregnancy mapping exercise in May 2024 across 75 villages in Bidibidi. Village Health Teams (VHTs) conducted door-to-door visits to identify pregnant women, collect demographic and antenatal care (ANC) information, and make referrals as needed. Special focus was placed on high-risk pregnancies, including adolescents and women with previous complications, who were linked to high-risk clinics. VHTs and Safe Motherhood Promoters followed up on all identified pregnancies, promoted ANC attendance, and supported timely referrals.
A total of 1,188 pregnant women were identified across the 75 villages; 1,179 (99.2%) were refugees and 9 (0.8%) were host community members. Overall, 394 women (33.2%) met the criteria for high-risk pregnancy. Adolescents constituted the largest subgroup, with 300 cases—representing 25.3% of all pregnancies and 76.1% of high-risk cases. Other high-risk conditions (94 cases; 8.0% of all pregnancies and 23.9% of high-risk) included: previous cesarean section (65 women), hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (20 women), mental health conditions such as epilepsy or bipolar disorder (2 women), and other obstetric complications, including poor obstetric history or incompetent cervix (7 women). The exercise strengthened maternal health awareness, improved referral pathways, and generated useful data for planning and resource allocation.
Community-based pregnancy mapping proved effective in enhancing early pregnancy identification and increasing access to SRH services. Collaboration between SRH and community health teams supported stronger follow-up and care coordination, contributing to better maternal health outcomes within the refugee settlement.
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