00:07SUSAN KAWOCHE, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
00:07Susan Kawoche has put her plans for more children on hold.
00:11She's a 21-year-old single mother earning about $1.50 a day at a local hotel in Kampala, barely
00:19enough to get by.
00:21SUSAN KAWOCHE, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
00:22I would have loved to have many children, even 12 children.
00:26But life is hard. As I have told you already, I work hard, but earn very little.
00:32So I can't even think about having another child.
00:36Her story reflects a wider shift across Uganda.
00:39The financial strain and high cost of living is pushing Ugandans to rethink their family sizes,
00:46shifting priorities to the most immediate needs like food, shelter and education.
00:51On average, Ugandan women now have about four children, down from seven three decades ago.
00:59Even so, fertility rates remain high, with the population projected to reach 48 million by the end of this year,
01:07according to the report of the National Population and Housing Census 2024.
01:12Our women will deliver 1.5 million babies. And this is not only this year, it is every year.
01:24Most significantly, 73.2% of Ugandans are below the age of 30.
01:32This presents a powerful opportunity for a demographic dividend.
01:40Yet it also presents a serious risk if our young people are overwhelmed by unemployment, which is the case,
01:50exclusion, addiction, trauma and untreated depression.
01:57Increased access to contraception and growing awareness around reproductive health are also helping drive the decline.
02:06Contraceptive use remains low among teenage girls, contributing to a high teenage pregnancy rate of about 25%.
02:17I didn't know about family planning because I was young.
02:20It was my first time having sex and I got pregnant.
02:24But since then, I've learned my lesson and will not have any more children because I don't want to go
02:30through the same ordeal.
02:32The report also points to progress in child survival, with fewer babies dying before their first birthday, thanks to improved
02:40health care.
02:42However, maternal deaths remain a serious concern.
02:45For Kawachi, having another child is not an option for now unless her situation dramatically improves.
02:52In my family and I am so I'm like, you know, are going to give you some happiness and, you
02:53know,
02:53So, I'm a friend of mine.
02:54And we're all about Young-Modans are going to be around.
02:54You know what I'm usually working with.
02:54In my family and I'm a friend of mine.
02:54I'm a girl who's desperate and I'm a girl who's desperate for now.
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