Health workers and leaders in Luwero District have renewed calls for concerted efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence amid a high number of teenagers seeking treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) linked to sexual abuse. According to the Luwero District Health Report for the 2025/26 financial year, 409 teenagers aged between 15 and 20 sought treatment after contracting STIs as a result of sexual and gender-based violence.
The report shows that 374 teenagers sought similar treatment in the 2024/25 financial year, while 472 cases were recorded in 2023/24. Luwero District Health Officer, Dr. Innocent Nkonwa, said many of the cases involve girls exposed to early sexual activity, often through relationships with older men and other forms of exploitation.
Nkonwa said although most affected teenagers receive treatment, delayed or untreated STIs can result in serious long-term health complications, including infertility and potentially life-threatening ectopic pregnancies. He said the situation underscores the need for stronger measures to prevent sexual abuse and ensure survivors receive timely medical care.
Nkonwa said the district has intensified sensitisation campaigns to ensure survivors of sexual violence promptly access Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and other appropriate services to reduce their risk of HIV infection. He added that the District Committee for Adolescent Health, which meets quarterly, has stepped up community sensitisation aimed at keeping children in school and ensuring they have access to essential services as part of efforts to reduce sexual exploitation.
Nkonwa said parents and communities are also being encouraged to provide children with necessities, including food, to reduce their vulnerability to adults who lure them into sexual relationships by offering money, food or other material benefits.
Viola Nanteza, the Luwero District Vice Chairperson, condemned sexual and gender-based violence, saying fear and stigma prevent many girls from seeking medical attention, leaving them to suffer in silence and exposing them to greater health risks.
Nanteza urged parents to remain vigilant and avoid leaving their children under the care of other people without adequate supervision, noting that some cases of sexual abuse involve relatives and other people known to the victims. She said the district has intensified community sensitisation campaigns encouraging parents to keep children in school and provide them with necessities, including lunch, to reduce their vulnerability to sexual exploitation.
Police stations across Luwero District registered 191 sexual-related crimes in 2025, including 72 cases of aggravated defilement.
Police said they have arrested several suspects and remanded them to court. However, authorities remain concerned that some parents continue to settle sexual abuse cases within their communities in exchange for money.
Violet Busingye, the Officer in Charge of the Luwero Child and Family Protection Unit (CFPU), said some families only report cases after negotiations with suspects fail, while others do not report the abuse at all. He said some cases are instead discovered when girls seek medical attention after developing symptoms of STIs or becoming pregnant.
Authorities also say some parents frustrate the pursuit of justice by refusing to testify against suspects, while others abandon survivors after receiving money from alleged perpetrators. Health workers and local leaders are therefore calling for stronger community vigilance, timely reporting of sexual abuse, prompt access to medical care and psychosocial support, and an end to the practice of settling defilement and other sexual violence cases outside the formal justice system.-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
