UNSAFE ABORTIONS ARE ON THE RISE - STUDY

A new study by the New York Guttmacher Institute states that the number of women having induced abortions has stayed stubbornly high since the last such report in 2003, and that the marked reduction in the eight years before that has not been maintained. Almost half of all abortions are categorized by the institute as “unsafe”, and this figure is rising – it estimates 49 percent in this latest (2008) study compared with 44 percent at the time of the baseline study in 1995. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 13 percent of maternal deaths, and a vast amount of suffering and ill-health can be attributed to the consequences of unsafe abortion...

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http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94683

BY FORCE, NOT BY CHOICE - EASSI's LATEST PUBLICATION

A peep into the book

‘By Force’, not ‘By Choice’, ‘I- Stories after FGM’ is a collection of poignant stories about the process and consequences of FGM, the helplessness of the survivors to escape what seems to be their inevitable fate and the resolve by some men  to spare their daughters from such fate.  As you walk the journey with each of our story tellers, you will be rightly appalled, nay horrified that FGM continues to be practiced even in the face of legal frameworks outlawing the practice and the known negative reproductive and sexual health impacts on both women and men. ...

Buy your copy today from EASSI.

Send an email to buy your copy today ...(eassi@eassi.org)

SAY NO TO SMOKING: IT WILL MAKE YOU INFERTILE, GIVE YOU A DROOPY BODY.

The youth, especially girls, are smoking a lot more than ever before. In fact, among some circles, smoking is considered so cool that even pregnant mothers are not afraid to light up a cigarette, despite prior knowledge of the dangers of tobacco on a mother and unborn baby.  Dr. James Balagadde, a dermatologist at Cadam Medical Centre, Kampala, says smoking persistently deprives the skin of oxygen and nutrients — the reason some smokers’ skin, teeth, eyes and palms change colour and become pale. Smoking also affects the colour of one’s fingernails and hands. Tobacco can actually stain the skin and nails, as well as the teeth. ...

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<http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/628541-say-no-to-smoking-it-will-make-you-infertile-give-you-a-droopy-body.html>

GIRLS STILL HINDERED BY HIGH DROPOUT RATE

While girls continued to show great competiveness against boys in Primary Leaving Examinations results released yesterday, high levels of dropouts emerged as a major challenge. Failure to complete and inability to compete or access to education opportunities are the major challenge.A report on regional free education tracking by the group Uwezo released last year found that 68 per cent of pupils who enroll in Primary One drop out before Primary Seven. That was a six per cent jump from 75 per cent for the previous year.

More: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/Education/-/688336/1309998/-/fiu6kg/-/index.html

UGANDAN APPOINTED FEMALE INTERPOL BOSS FOR AFRICA

Former criminal investigations directorate (CID) boss Elizabeth Kuteesa, has been appointed by the International Police (Interpol) to head a key department at its General Secretariat headquarters. This makes her the first African woman to occupy the post. Kuteesa, who rose to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) in the Uganda Police Force, was appointed by the international police body to head Interpol’s National Central Bureau and Regional Police Services (NRPS) unit. ...

More: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/628319-ugandan-appointed-interpol-boss-for-africa.html

Obstetric Fistula Accelerated By Ignorance and Poverty

Until she told her story, I couldn't tell that she had suffered fistula. She is as jolly as she is shy. She introduces herself as Rebecca Atim. As she narrates her ordeal, she keeps looking at the ceiling and twisting her fingers. She got pregnant and suffered from fistula at 18 (she is now 25 years). At this time, she was still at school and also at the parent's home. In her culture, when one conceives out of wedlock, she is sent to the father of her child who should look after her during her pregnancy. Rebecca's parents didn't have the patience nor the understanding, so they sent her to the man responsible for her pregnancy. This is when trouble begun...

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http://allafrica.com/stories/201201160133.html