According to the report, of 500 commercial sex workers interviewed, 48% have had unwanted pregnancies out of which 45% have opted for unsafe abortion.

The victims aged between 19-35 used rudimentary ways to get rid of their pregnancies including use of sharp objects, local herbs and abortion termination pills.

The report further revealed that of the 45% who had unsafe abortion, five have lost their lives as result of the complication.

Martha Akello, the Executive Director of Voice of Community, has blamed the high cases of unwanted pregnancies and abortion among sex workers on the limited access to sexual reproductive health and rights services targeting sex workers.

According to Akello, most sex workers because of limited access to sexual reproductive health and rights information, they don’t use protection thus leading to unintended pregnancies hence abortion since pregnancy prevents them from carrying on with their business.

Akello called upon the health departments in Acholi to consider outreaches targeting sex workers to help reduce the high rate of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted Infections among the sex workers.

Anena Caroline, a Health Worker attached to Labworomor Health Centre III in Palaro sub county, Gulu District, said the biggest problem is that most sex workers fear going to health facilities to seek sexual reproductive health and rights services.

She however stressed that the health department has embarked on outreaches to provide services to sex workers.

Adong Joyce, a commercial sex worker, attributed the high rate of unwanted pregnancies among them demands by their clients to have live sex coupled with the absence of unfriendly corners at health facilities targeting sex workers.

Abortion in Uganda is illegal unless performed by a licensed medical doctor in a situation where the woman’s life is deemed to be at risk. With women lacking access to safe and legal abortions, many of them turn to unsafe abortion practices, such as self-induced.

Yoweri Idiba, the Assistant Gulu District Health Officer in charge of Environmental Health, has blamed the malaria burden across the districts on the issue of mosquito nets, failure to clean home compounds and the persistent heavy downpour which has led to flooding hence creating a fertile ground for mosquitos.

Meanwhile, Dr Peter Mukobi, the Director of Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, has attributed the high cases as a result of persistent drug stock out to deal with the disease, failure by the community to seek timely medical care and failure to sleep under mosquito nets among others.

According to Mukobi, malaria is preventable but people do not take malaria seriously that is why the disease is very high and remains the leading cause of death in the region

He however, said they are going to work closely with lower facilities to intensify health education as one of the ways to fight malaria as they also lobby the government for timely delivery of medicines.

Malaria remains the leading condition among all OPD diagnoses for all ages accounting for 45.7% of all OPD attendances followed by cough or cold (pneumonia)at 17.7% %, and gastrointestinal disorders (no-infective) at 3.4%.

Uganda has the third highest deaths from malaria in Africa and some of the highest recorded malaria transmission rates in the continent, particularly in the areas around Lake Kyoga in central Uganda.

 Caption: Gulu Regional Hospital main gate {Photo by Ivan Tolit)