DSW Uganda hosts Rutgers Offices in Uganda; renews commitment to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights in the region

Investing in sexual and reproductive health information and services, especially for young people has the potential to unlock significant economic growth. People, who are unable to fulfil their sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, tend to be both less productive and less able to earn a living. This keeps families and whole economies in situations of perpetual poverty.

There is growing recognition that the demographic dividend of a young population holds huge opportunities. However, these opportunities are being put at risk by insufficient investment priority to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights by governments, and fragmented financing by donors to this topic.

Rutgers, a well known research and expert centre on sexual and reproductive health and rights from the Netherlands is officially opening an office in Uganda today 11^th June 2015. Joined by the Hon. Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, Minister of Health, H.E Alphons Hennekens, Netherlands Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Lambert Grijns, Dutch SRHR and HIV/AIDS ambassador, Rutgers Director Ms. Dianda Veldman, DSW Executive Director Ms. Renate Baehr and other dignitaries, the office will be the start of a new chapter in Rutgers support and partnership with Uganda. Rutgers closely follows policy discussions about harnessing the demographic dividend by targeting the youth bulge.

The Country Director of DSW Uganda, Herbert Mona officially welcomed the partner organisation to Uganda and East Africa. He called upon partners to support Rutgers and emphasized that there is still a big need to invest in sexual reproductive health in Uganda since the biggest percentage of the population is comprised of young people.

The Executive Director DSW, Ms. Renate Baehr, shared the history of DSW, how it was founded by two German entrepreneurs and later opening country offices in East Africa including Uganda; she highlighted the collaboration between Germany and Netherlands with regard to sexual reproductive health and right and having worked closely with World Population Fund on issues of SRHR and advocacy, which later merged with Rutgers. she concluded by officially welcoming Rutgers to Uganda and noted that she looks forward to a good cooperation and coordination. lastly thanked the Dutch government for the past and future support.