This project is improving access to family planning services, which is an important aspect of public health in Uganda. High rates of unintended pregnancies and low contraceptive use contribute to maternal mortality and morbidity and the spread of sexually transmitted infections. By mapping contraceptive use, the project can identify areas with low access to family planning services and inform the design of targeted interventions that promote access and utilization of these services, ultimately leading to improved sexual and reproductive health outcomes.

Access to a full range of contraceptive options is a basic right. There is a need for reliable and authoritative information on contraception for people to consciously choose the method most appropriate for them at any given point in their lives. This information can empower them to proactively plan if and how many children they want at the time of their choosing and thus should be a priority for policy-makers and governments. However, policymaking has not kept up to speed with the digital age, especially in how young people access and consume vital information.

In this initiative, Amara Hub and the Ministry of Health sought to map contraceptive access sites in the newly formed cities in the northern region of Uganda to illustrate their location, and distribution, and to identify underserved areas. The target cities for this initiative were Lira, Gulu, and Arua. It also sought to provide a pathway for improved reproductive health planning by health officials and support healthcare workers to confidently refer clients to appropriate services in their proximity.

In an era where most public health information is derived from online channels, open-source and interactive OpenStreetMap (OSM) can be leveraged to ensure no missed opportunity to disseminate and access essential contraceptive health information and services.
The implementation of the project to map contraceptive access in Lira, Gulu, and Arua cities by Amara Hub involved the following activities undertaken to achieve the defined objectives, with four main strands of work packages: data collection, data analysis/visualization, map production and stakeholder engagement.

Data collection involved obtaining information on contraceptive availability from health facilities. This information was obtained using Kobotoolbox surveys administered by community health extension workers. The data collected should be accurate, reliable, and representative of the population in each city. This required coordination with local health authorities to ensure the data is collected in a culturally sensitive and appropriate manner. Our accomplishment in this phase was in being able to transfer this capacity to the 31 community health extension workers from Lira, Gulu, and Arua cities who owned the process.

Once the data was collected, it was analyzed to identify patterns and trends in contraceptive use. The data was visualized using QGIS software to create a digital map that illustrates the prevalence and distribution of contraceptive access in each city. This enabled the integration of various data sources to create interactive and dynamic OSM maps for each city. The resulting maps were designed to be user-friendly and accessible to a range of stakeholders, including policymakers, healthcare providers, and community organizations.