By Wadulo Arnold Mark
SAY Plus+ a youth sexual and reproduction health program was launched onMay 7, 2026, Makerere University freedom square. This ambitious USD 50 million initiative, led by the Ministry of Health, is designed to scale up Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) impact across Uganda’s most underserved regions, including West Nile, Karamoja, and the East. Under the vibrant theme, “My Voice Matters: Youth Voices for SAY Plus+,” and the unwavering tagline, “Nothing for us, without us,” the event signaled a paradigm shift toward placing adolescents at the heart of health service design.
A cornerstone of the event was the address by Kristine Blokhus, the UNFPA Representative in Uganda, who highlighted the critical necessity of continuity. Drawing from the event’s opening documentation, she expressed profound appreciation for the political will driving these health initiatives, stating: “We are immensely grateful for your to your governments for the consistent commitment to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people. Thank you for supporting this mission and thank you for understanding its importance”. Blokhus’s remarks centered on the concept of a self-sustaining legacy, urging implementing partners and coordinators to adopt a “train-the-trainer” model. She emphasized this vision clearly, saying, “For the drive, we need to create sustainability. The people you you train must train others. Train others for continuity”.
The official transition of SAY Plus+ into full implementation was marked by Hon. Margaret Muhanga, the State Minister for Primary Health Care, who delivered a powerful mandate regarding the program’s accountability and longevity. Minister Muhanga insisted that the project must be sustainable and not simply disappear once the initial funding period concludes. She underscored that for a program of this magnitude to succeed, the people trained must effectively train others to ensure a permanent ripple effect of knowledge throughout the community. Furthermore, she demanded rigorous financial accountability, asserting that every dollar invested must produce a visible, tangible outcome for the youth of Uganda. In her remarks on the program’s future, she emphasized that the nation requires “parent projects that stay,” serving as permanent fixtures in the national health landscape rather than fleeting interventions.
The SAY Plus+ initiative is backed by a pooled fund from the governments of Iceland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden, and is scheduled to operate through 2030. The program aims to reach over 2.3 million direct and indirect beneficiaries by strengthening youth-responsive health facilities and engaging families, communities, and leaders to address harmful social norms. By prioritizing youth voices and ensuring institutional sustainability, the program seeks to make a lasting contribution to Uganda’s Human Capital Development goals. The energy at Freedom Square reflected a collective commitment to ensuring every young Ugandan has the agency to make informed choices about their body and their life.
