Brief: Strengthening Family Planning with Faith-Based Organizations in Uganda

Christian hospitals, clinics, and health care programs have a unique role to play in providing family planning services in Africa. However, these facilities often lack the capacity to provide quality services, and donor funding for faith-based organizations (FBO) has historically been limited in scope and duration, making it difficult to achieve impact at scale. In spite of these challenges, the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau (UCMB) and the Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau (UPMB) have shown commitment and great resourcefulness in advancing family planning within their networks.

This brief details how UCMB and UPMB, in collaboration with the Institute for Reproductive Health (IRH), used a systems approach to strengthen their family planning capacity. Results of this project suggest that FBOs can meaningfully contribute to national and international family planning goals.