Adolescent family planning policies in Uganda & Kenya under the microscope in 2019

 

Adolescent family planning is essential to reduce maternal mortality, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Achieving these goals requires adopting positive national sexual and reproductive health laws and policies and repealing regressive legal rules (i.e. restrictions on contraception and abortion services). However, good evidence and rational arguments for these services often fail to translate into supportive policies.
The ADAPT project (ADolescent fAmily Planning: policy tracing for sexual and reproductive health and righTs)investigates adolescent family planning policies and outcomes in Uganda and Kenya. These countries’ sexual and reproductive health policy choices diverge despite their many social, political, legal, and economic similarities. For example, the Ugandan government focuses sexuality education on ‘value based’ abstinence while the Kenyan government continues takes a rights-based approach to adolescent family planning. The results will help refine political strategies to prioritise adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights.

This project is facilitated by a12-month Global Minds post doctoral operating grant (from VLIR-UOS and DGD) awarded to Dr. Katrina Perehudoff (ICRH) under the supervision of Prof.Kristien Michielsen (ICRH).To date the project consortium includes ICRH, Mbarara University, the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development, and HEPS Uganda.The ADAPT project is part of the ANSER network’s research on sexual and reproductive health and rights policy.

Get involved: Student researchers interested in gaining experience in human rights and policy research related to family planning are invited to contact us for research opportunities throughout 2019. Contact: Katrina.Perehudoff @ugent.be