Many mothers in the rural areas of Kasese, Western Uganda deliver their babies on smoked banana leaves, the district’s vice chairperson, Naume Mbambu, has said.
“Our health units in the district, especially in the rural areas and government owned [health units], lack delivery items in the maternity wards,” Mbambu said.
Speaking at a planning meeting last week (20 September, 2011) for the National Peace Exposition Days, which are to be launched and hosted in Kasese between 27 and 30 November under the theme Early marriages and child mothers in Kasese district, Mbambu said there were no beds, mattresses, gloves and other necessities in the health units for midwives to use to deliver babies.
The National Peace Exposition Days is being organized and funded by Isis-Women’s International Cross Cultural Exchange, a global action-oriented women’s organization. The organization takes its name after Isis, the ancient Egyptian goddess of wisdom, creativity and knowledge. Its aim is to promote justice, equality and mutual relationships between women and men.
The executive director of Isis, Ruth Ojwambo Ochieng, said that findings made by the organization indicate Kasese district has the highest number of early marriages, and consequently child mothers, in Uganda.
“The high rate of early marriages reported among some communities in the Rwenzori region, and Kasese in particular, may result into a socio-economic crisis if not curbed”, Ojwambo Ochieng warned.
Ochieng told participants at the meeting, which was held at Verina Gardens in Kasese town, that early marriages may also lead to desperation for those involved, making them ripe for to be employed in criminal acts.
She added that research conducted by the organization had revealed a painful story and that the region, and Kasese district in particular, may face a social, economic and even security crisis if the issue of early marriages is not quickly handled .
She also questioned why the effects of the ADF war were not given the same prominence and attention in the region as they had been in Northern Uganda, saying displaced persons should have been helped to resettle after staying in displacement for some years.
Kasese Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Aminadab Muhindo, said the ADF war had left behind heavy trauma in the region due to the havoc the rebels exerted on the people.
Image: (c) Neil Freeman for Aids Alliance
early marriages are not only in kasese ,we have similar cases in mbale ,budaka,pallisa iganga and so many other districs just that statistical data is not compiled yet. otherwise ,we truely need a government hand to deal with this case.