Minister worries about Ugandan women's fertility rates

The Minister pointed out that Uganda still lags behind on the so-called demographic transition (an indicator of the historical shift from high birth rates and high death rates in societies).

He noted that while most countries in the global west have reached or are approaching the end of this transition, where both their fertility and mortality rates are very low, Uganda is still at the beginning where women are still very fertile and the mortality rates are equally high.

“When you go to countries like Japan which I have visited many times, their annual population growth rate is at -0.5 %. Their population is basically decreasing while their life expectancy is very high.

“In Japan, what used to be primary and secondary schools they have turned them into homes of the elderly.”

“But here in Uganda, we have a world trophy in terms of our population growth; it is too high and this has its own negative effects in terms of pressures on our natural resources."

The Minister added, “We as scientists don't necessarily oppose God's command to multiply and fill the earth, but we need to guide the population to produce by choice, not by chance."

“Couples need to have a manageable family size; a man and a wife should be able to discuss and agree on the number of children they can raise and give them a happy life. We don’t encourage Ugandans to just reproduce for the sake of exchanging the biological potential of a woman.”

Uganda according to multiple sources is still ranked among the world's top 10 fastest-growing populations.