Uganda acquires new vasectomy equipment

The Ugandan government's ministry for health has purchased a new set of vasectomy equipment in a bid to tackle soaring population rates and encourage men to assist their partners in family planning.

While addressing a host of health organisations in the Mukono district of the country, assistant commissioner Dr Collins Tusingwire said: "Workers are going to be trained on how to use the equipment so that men will have a chance to participate in reproductive health."

According to the New Vision, the move has come as a reaction to calls from MPs, which said more needed to be invested in male-targeted equipment to improve reproductive health. An estimated eight million Ugandan shillings has been spent on the new apparatus.

Figures released by Reproductive Health Uganda state only 40 vasectomy operations were recorded nationwide last year.

Dr Tusingwire also issued a plea to the Uganda Health Marketing Group to release the contraceptives it holds to health centres as soon as possible, as he believes some are drawing near to their expiry dates.