The Gender ministry together with the Afri-child center of Makerere University have launched the National Child Focused Research Agenda 2022-2026 and knowledge portal hub that will guide research data collection for child-related initiatives.
Speaking at the launch in Kampala, Mondo Kyateeka, the Commisioner Youth and Child Affairs in the ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Developement urged stake holders to be intentional in all their endeavours to reduce the national teenage pregnancy rate from the current 25%.
He says, currently, the cost of teenage pregnancy to an already struggling Uganda economy is $184 million about shs711 billion.
Meanwhile, representing Makerere University Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawengwe, Dr. Eric Ochen revealed that Uganda is currently not producing enough highly educated reseachers at Phd level to guide national policy and information based decisions.
He says they are now working to in a long run turn Makerere University into a research led institution for high level studies.
Annually, government disburses a total of shs30 billion to Makerere University for research.
