Lira City is the host of the Lango Regional Health Assembly – Joint Review Mission 2026, a two-day event scheduled to conclude on Wednesday, September 9.
Participants include district health officers, cultural and religious leaders, politicians and senior officers from the Ministry of Health, among others.
On day one, local authorities and health stakeholders across Lango called for an urgent government intervention over rising teenage pregnancies, malaria and sickle cell infections.
Road traffic crashes, including maternal health challenges, also surfaced in the discussions.
Kwania District Health Officer, Dr Okino David, said teenage pregnancies are increasing sharply. He blames the rise on poverty, school fees and changing social behaviours.
He added that Kwania remains among the most affected areas in the Lango sub-region, and called for immediate support for girls and young women who become pregnant.
Also read: Lango Joint Review Mission 2026 examines health gaps and strategies for improvement
Access to family planning information and safe contraceptive services, the DHO said, should be considered.
Kole DHO, Dr Ojede Richard, re-echoed the concerns but also attributed part of the problem to changing social trends. He said some forms of entertainment and shifting behaviours were negatively affecting girls and women in Lango.
Dr Ojede added that many girls leave school because their families cannot afford education-related costs.
Once out of school, they become more vulnerable to early pregnancy and other forms of exploitation because they lose the protection and support provided by the school environment.
He urged health workers and community structures to provide non-judgmental reproductive health services while strengthening efforts to keep girls in school.
Dr Odongo Jimmy, DHO Amolatar, raised concerns about the structure and location of the district being surrounded by two water bodies with fishing communities, saying the arrangement was affecting service delivery and delaying timely interventions.
He said that health teams visit the affected communities and provide targeted support to address the pregnancy crisis and other urgent health needs in isolated areas within the district.
Road safety was another major concern raised at the meeting. Dokolo DHO, Dr Ojok Samuel, called for a multi-agency forensic investigation into recurring crashes and blackspots along the Dokolo–Lira highway.
Although reckless riding and dangerous driving are often blamed for crashes, Ojok said poor road conditions and inadequate maintenance are also forcing motorists into dangerous situations.
He called for a detailed assessment of the highway, including road design, signage, drainage, visibility and pavement conditions, before more lives are lost.
Health officials also reported a sharp increase in malaria cases, particularly in Otuke, Kwania, and Apac districts.
The District Health Officer Otuke said mostly affected communities are the ones on grass thatched houses reducing the effectiveness of indoor residual spraying and provide limited protection against mosquitoes.
Several health officials added that the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets alone has not been sufficient to control transmission in the districts.
Apac District General Hospital is struggling with a growing number of patients, including malaria cases, maternal complications and emergency referrals, according to the DHO, Dr James Daniel Odongo.
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Dr Odongo said many expectant mothers and critically ill patients arrive late because of long distances, poor roads and a lack of reliable transport.
These delays are contributing to preventable deaths, particularly among women experiencing pregnancy and childbirth complications.
The situation mirrors pressure at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, which is also handling a rising number of trauma cases and referrals from neighbouring districts.
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