Uganda – Tiko

Tiko in Uganda

Total lives impacted

Total lives impacted

Total services delivered

Total services delivered

Family planning and contraception services

HIV services

Mental health services

The need

Uganda has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in East Africa, standing at 24%. A significant unmet need for sexual and reproductive healthcare in Uganda has led to high rates of unintended pregnancies, school dropouts, unsafe abortions and maternal mortality. Among sexually active women aged 15 to 19, 34% have an unmet need for modern contraception, resulting in over 400,000 unsafe abortions between 2015 and 2019.

In terms of HIV/AIDS, adolescent girls and young women are disproportionately affected, with an HIV infection rate four times higher than that of boys in the same age group, with girls accounting for two-thirds of all new HIV infections. Moreover, testing among adolescents remains low, resulting in a high number of cases going undetected and untreated.

Our work in Uganda

Our Ugandan operations began in 2021, with a primary focus on adolescent girls and young women but with some interventions addressing boys and young men. Our programme enables adolescent and young people to receive free short-term and long-term contraception, HIV testing services, PrEP, ART and mental health at public and private clinics and pharmacies across well-established, rapidly growing ecosystems in Kampala.

Our programme in Uganda is strengthened by Young Adolescent Peer Supporters who enrol young people in the community onto Tiko, and also offer services directly, bridging the gap between health facilities and clients. These Young Adolescent Peer Supporters are HIV+ between the ages of 18 and 22 years are are carefully selected, trained and assigned specific roles at a public health facility and within the community.

Tiko’s digital approach in Uganda is consistent with the Ugandan government’s strategy to digitise its public health system.

Our work in Uganda

Our programme in Uganda is strengthened by Young Adolescent Peer Supporters who enrol young people in the community onto Tiko, and also offer services directly, bridging the gap between health facilities and clients. These Young Adolescent Peer Supporters are HIV+ between the ages of 18 and 22 years are are carefully selected, trained and assigned specific roles at a public health facility and within the community.

Tiko’s digital approach in Uganda is consistent with the Ugandan government’s strategy to digitise its public health system.