By David Isabirye
Critical issues particularly reproductive health are addressed through advocacy and community-based interventions that empower grassroot communities to take due ownership of their health and general well-being.
It is upon this firm background that Family Medical Point (FMP) in conjunction with stakeholders as Marie Stopes have taken the bold lead to front such aforementioned initiatives.
FMP, for starters is a non-profit entity that has since inception advocated, promoted and provided rights based comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services.
The latest engagement took place at the lake-side Kiggungu fish landing site in Entebbe Division B on Friday, 8th May 2026 to have an adverse effect to this fishing community and the surroundings.
First, the experts (health workers) from FMP engaged at least 500 women of reproductive age in the famous “Musawo” session.
Women and young girls were empowered with the accurate health information in a stigma free confine with a large fraction of commercial sex workers also involved and sensitized about the essence of HIV testing, family planning, mental health counseling, post-abortion care, HIV prevention, STI screening and treatment, maternal health support, and menstrual health education, among others.
“The Musaawo session was a big success with over 500 women of reproductive age reached”. We talked to them about the family planning methodologies, downplaying the myths associated with family planning. The residents were very welcoming as well the area leaders as we coordinated them well through their ambassadors. The talk was direct condemning unsafe abortions and finally we distributed lubricants and condoms” Isabella Amony, the team leader at Family Medical Point spoke to Gateway News.
This visit followed an earlier one in February 2026; with similar engagements expected in August as a follow up mechanism.
Polyne Nabwire, the Head of Programmes at FMP asserts that fishing communities like Kiggungu encounter unique vulnerabilities, including high rates of transactional sex but face limited access to healthcare.
Therefore, this Musawo session targeted to bridge this gap, providing essential services to those who need them most.
“The session was a success with a very big turn up of girls and women. The trajectory is promising and therefore we anticipate good results going forward” Nabwire testified.
Enos Thembo, a Medical Clinic Officer at Mirembe Medical Chambers in Kiggungu hailed the activities of Family Medical Point in Kiggungu.
“FMP has done a great work to the women and young girls here in Kiggungu. Besides the counseling sessions, they have been able to encourage women and girls do testing, distributed condoms and lubricants as they teach their rightful usage. We are humbled to partner with them in this brave fight” Thembo attested.
Thembo’s sentiments were reechoed by Rose Namirembe, a community peer mobiliser (CMP) who hails FMP for the work well executed since 2024.
The latest estimates from Ministry of Health indicate that out of every 1000 adult Ugandans, 54 have HIV; 5.4% of Ugandans aged 15-49 years – with prevalence significantly higher among women at (6.8%).
New infections are highest in adolescent girls and young women (nationally) and higher in areas identified as HIV/AIDS hotspots in some areas as high as or more than 17%.
Family Medical Point (FMP) has therefore helped to scale-up HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, treatment and eventually end of HIV/AIDS infections in adolescent girls and women in the country.
