Submission ID 129881
| Issue/Objective | In many rural and border communities in Uganda, adolescent girls and young women face intersecting health inequities shaped by poverty, gender norms, and limited access to safe social spaces. In Busia District, a funeral-related practice known as disco matanga evolved into a night-time social environment associated with sexual exploitation, transactional sex, and increased risks of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. While often framed as a behavioural issue, these harms reflect deeper structural drivers, including economic precarity, gendered power relations, and weak governance of informal social spaces. This study examines how disco matanga was reframed as a public health and equity concern and how local policy responses emerged. |
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| Methodology/Approach | A documentary policy analysis was conducted drawing on district council minutes, draft ordinance texts, stakeholder consultation reports, and media coverage from 2021-2023. The analysis focused on Busia District while situating findings within the broader national response, including a government ban on similar practices. The study examined how local government, youth advocates, and civil society actors engaged in multi-stakeholder processes to define the problem and negotiate regulatory solutions. |
| Results | Findings show that Disco Matanga was progressively constructed as a site of social harm through narratives linking it to teenage pregnancy, school dropout, and gender-based violence. Youth participation through testimony, co-design, and advocacy played a critical role in shaping the policy response. Rather than imposing an outright ban, Busia District adopted a regulatory ordinance introducing permits, time restrictions, and child protection measures. This approach reflected attempts to balance cultural practices with the need to protect adolescents and reduce harm. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | The case demonstrates how locally driven governance processes can address upstream determinants of health inequities by reshaping risk environments rather than focusing solely on individual behaviour change. It also highlights tensions between cultural legitimacy and rights-based public health approaches, as well as the importance of youth participation in policy development. In a context of fragmented governance and constrained resources, this study offers a practical example of how local leadership and community engagement can advance equity-oriented health action. It contributes to Sub-theme 1 by illustrating how policy and governance interventions can respond to structural drivers of vulnerability and reclaim progress toward global health equity. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Dianah Nanyange Reproductive Health Uganda Mabel Sengendo Nabaggala Sonke Gender Justice |
