Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract NACNDC/19JASH063 (Poster C39) | Published: 25 Nov 2025
Lillian Ojanduru1,&, Godfrey Siu2, Nazarius Tumwesigye1, Justine Bukenya1
1Makerere University, School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kampala, Uganda, 2Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, Child Health and Development Centre, Kampala, Uganda
&Corresponding author: Lillian Ojanduru, Makerere University School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kampala, Uganda. Email: lynojan@gmail.com, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8381-3724
Received: 14 Sept 2025, Accepted: 20 Oct 2025, Published: 25 Nov 2025
Domain: Reproductive Health
Keywords: Contraceptives, youth, family planning, Karamoja, Uganda
©Lillian Ojanduru 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: Lillian Ojanduru et al., Integrating family planning into pastoral herd health days to improve contraceptive uptake in Karamoja: An exploratory qualitative study. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc6):00063. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO6-00063
Family planning (FP) is one of six essential interventions identified by the World Health Organization to reduce maternal and child mortality. In Karamoja, Uganda, contraceptive use is only 10%, compared to the national average of 38%. This study examined health system barriers and opportunities to improve FP uptake in the region.
An exploratory qualitative study was conducted in four districts of Karamoja (Moroto, Napak, Nakapiripirit, Nabilatuk). Data were collected through twelve sex‑disaggregated focus group discussions, eight key informant interviews with health workers and leaders, and eight in‑depth interviews with youth and parents. Thematic content analysis was applied.
Barriers included limited or no integration of contraceptive services with livestock health activities such as herd health days, inadequate coordination with Nutrition interventions in the communities, inadequate staffing and limited skills to offer some methods, inadequate information on side effects and contraceptive mechanisms, provider attitudes and fatigue, stockouts, lack of privacy and youth‑friendly services. Opportunities included recognition of modern contraceptives as more effective than traditional postpartum abstinence, leveraging herd health days, dual protection from condoms, desire for smaller families amid food insecurity, and growing interest in children’s education.
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