Submission ID 129885
| Issue/Objective | Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in Uganda continue to face significant barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights services, including stigma, restrictive gender norms, and limited decision-making power. Conventional programme approaches often fail to address these barriers because they are not grounded in young people's lived realities. In the Kalangala Island District, these challenges are compounded by geographic isolation and limited youth-friendly services. This study examines how a human-centred design (HCD) approach was used to co-create context-driven solutions and strengthen equity in access to SRHR services. |
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| Methodology/Approach | The Power to You(th) programme implemented an HCD process between 2021 and 2023, engaging AGYW, boys, caregivers, and health providers in iterative cycles of problem identification, ideation, prototyping, and testing. The approach combined participatory workshops, community dialogues, and service provider engagement to identify barriers and co-develop locally relevant interventions. The process emphasised youth leadership and collaboration across community and health system actors. |
| Results | The HCD process resulted in improved youth-friendly service delivery, increased trust in health facilities, and stronger youth agency in SRHR decision-making. Peer-led engagement models enhanced demand for services, while the involvement of men and caregivers contributed to shifts in gender norms, particularly around communication, consent, and shared responsibility for health. The approach also strengthened relationships between communities and service providers, improving responsiveness to adolescent needs. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | This case demonstrates that participatory, community-driven approaches can move beyond consultation to redistribute power and centre marginalised voices in health systems. HCD offers a practical pathway to advance equity by ensuring that solutions are context-specific and locally owned. In a fragmented global health landscape, investing in youth leadership and community-driven innovation is critical to restoring commitment to equity. This work contributes to Sub-theme 2 by showing how locally led approaches can strengthen resilient health systems and improve outcomes for marginalised populations. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Mabel Sengendo Nabaggala Sonke Gender Justice Martha Nambuyaga Kavuma Sonke Gender Justice |
