By BigEyeUg Team
Marie Stopes Uganda has today launched the BUUZA Campaign, a national initiative designed to make it easier for Ugandans, especially women and couples, to ask questions and access timely, trusted reproductive and maternal healthcare.
Across many communities in Uganda, reproductive health challenges are not ignored because people do not care, but because asking questions can feel uncomfortable.
Conversations about fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, contraception, and postnatal care are often shared quietly with friends, relatives, or aunties (sengas), or searched privately online, rather than discussed openly with trained health professionals.
Social expectations around strength, discretion, and endurance, particularly for women, mean that uncertainty is often endured in silence.
This delay in seeking guidance contributes to late antenatal care registration, missed opportunities for early screening, unmanaged complications, and preventable risks along the reproductive health journey.
The BUUZA Campaign, meaning “Ask”, is built on a simple but powerful insight: before care can begin, a question must be asked.
The campaign aims to normalise asking, reduce fear and shame, and create safe, judgment free spaces where people can seek answers early and confidently.
Speaking at the media briefing, Dr Molly Mbaziira, a Gynaecologist with Marie Stopes Uganda noted that BUUZA goes beyond traditional health messaging.
“Rather than focusing only on providing information, BUUZA puts people at the centre. It responds to real questions about fertility, pregnancy, childbirth, and life after delivery, and creates a supportive space where those questions can be asked without fear or judgment.”
Sandra Arinaitwe, the Marketing and Communications Lead, highlighted the campaign’s accessibility:
“The BUUZA campaign meets people where they already are. WhatsApp is the primary entry point because it’s confidential, immediate, and human. For those without access to WhatsApp, the service is also available via a toll-free mobile line. Within minutes, clients can connect with trained clinicians who listen, reassure, and guide them to the most appropriate point of care near them.”
The campaign also recognises that trust is built from the very first interaction. Joyeuse Uwitonze, Hospital Manager at Marie Stopes, emphasised the importance of that first step:
“At Marie Stopes Hospital, we understand that the first interaction often shapes a client’s entire care journey. Our hospital is fully prepared to manage even the most complex reproductive health cases, with state-of-the-art technology, highly skilled clinicians, and systems that meet global standards. Women can trust that every step of their care is in expert hands.”
While Uganda has made progress in antenatal care attendance, gaps remain.
Although over 72% of women attend antenatal care at least four times, only about 30% begin care in the first trimester, when early screening and risk prevention are most effective.
Access to pre-conception care also remains limited, leaving many women unprepared for pregnancy-related risks.
With Uganda’s pregnancy-related mortality ratio still estimated at 228 per 100,000 live births, earlier engagement and continuity of care remain critical.
Through BUUZA, Marie Stopes Uganda intends to shift behaviour in a way that feels familiar, respectful, and led by the audience themselves.
The campaign invites the public to actively use social media platforms to ask questions early and without fear.
For health support, appointments, or bookings, contact Marie Stopes on WhatsApp 0707 713 301 or call the toll‑free line 0800 220 333 for quick assistance.
We will keep you posted
