The SRHR Alliance today launched Alliance Week 2026 in Namayingo District, opening five days of activities that will run through Friday. On day one, partners under the SRHR Alliance fanned out across schools, health centres and trading centres, engaging young people, parents, teachers and health workers on menstrual hygiene, teenage pregnancy, sexual and gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS awareness, family planning and other sexual and reproductive health rights issues.
The day began with a district entry meeting, where Namayingo District leadership welcomed the Alliance and its partners and expressed appreciation for the district being chosen to host this year’s Alliance Week. Board Chairperson David Talima gave the opening remarks on behalf of the Alliance, thanking the district for its hospitality and recognising the partners and teams behind the week’s activities.
District officials used the meeting to lay out the realities facing health service delivery in Namayingo. The district has 39 health facilities serving close to 282,186 people spread across 11 sub-counties and 306 villages, and low staffing levels and limited resources continue to strain service delivery. About 75% of the district is covered by water bodies, a geography that adds its own layer of difficulty to reaching health services.
Teenage pregnancy, SGBV, adolescent health and access to SRHR information emerged as the key concerns requiring stronger district and community action. District leaders welcomed the Alliance’s intervention and stressed that closing the gaps identified would depend on continued partnership between the district, health facilities, civil society organisations, communities and young people themselves.
Taking SRHR to the Roadside
From the entry meeting, teams moved into the community for mobilisation and sensitisation around Namayingo HC IV. Health workers and outreach teams worked through a busy roadside trading centre, weaving past shops, boda boda riders and pedestrians to reach people who might not otherwise walk into a health facility for information or services.
The approach allowed for direct, one-on-one conversations, informing community members about the day’s activities, answering questions on the spot and encouraging people to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. This also gave the teams on ground a chance to distribute condoms as well as educate people in the community on correct condom use.
Learning to Make Reusable Pads at Namayingo Primary School and Buswale Secondary School
At Namayingo Primary School, over 279 pupils in Primary Five to Seven took part in a session on menstrual hygiene, unpacking what they already knew about menstruation and sanitation before being guided through making reusable sanitary pads and learning how to use them correctly. The session gave facilitators a clear sense of the gaps in pupils’ existing knowledge, while giving the pupils themselves practical skills they could put to use right away. Facilitators noted the pupils’ enthusiasm, many of them eager to build on what they already knew.
At Buswale Senior Secondary School, the Alliance ran three sessions at once. Senior One and Two students took part in a peer education conversation while Senior three and four talked about menstrual health and hygiene, while Senior Five and Six students worked through a practical session making reusable menstrual pads.
Youth Talk and Mothers’ Session at Bumoli Health Centre III
At Bumoli Health Centre III, the Alliance brought together young people and mothers for parallel conversations on SRHR, teenage pregnancy, antenatal care, family planning and preparation for childbirth. In the Youth Talk, teenage pregnancy again featured prominently, with young people raising questions about what happens when they arrive at a facility only to find it closed, and why some government health workers treat them less kindly than staff at clinics and Non Government Organizations do. The discussion turned into a broader conversation about young people’s right to respectful, confidential and non-judgmental care, alongside an acknowledgment of the pressures health workers themselves face.
Alongside the Youth Talk, mothers took part in a session on antenatal care and family planning. They learned that pregnant women are encouraged to attend eight Antenatal Care contacts over the course of a pregnancy, starting as early as possible, and were encouraged to involve their husbands or partners in ANC visits for both emotional and practical support.
Setting the Tone for the Week
Day one of Alliance Week 2026 set a clear tone for the days ahead: open conversations, accurate information and closer collaboration between health facilities, schools, community leaders and the Alliance’s partners. With activities continuing through Friday, the coming days are expected to build on this momentum across more schools and health centres in Namayingo District.