A team from the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) has requested the Parliament of Uganda not to limit Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) services to only couples in Uganda.
According to CEPA, the limitation will be an infringement of their rights to form a family as provided for in Article 31 of the Constitution.
The team headed by Joseph Tahinduka made the remarks while appearing before the Parliament’s Health Committee on May 2, 2024, to present their views on the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill 2023 (HART).
“We contend that there will be many Ugandans that will be prevented from accessing HART medical services if the law only limits its application to only a man and woman who jointly seek this medical service, such as persons with disabilities who are unable to conceive due to health reasons or due to their inability to find a mate of their preference or the inability to be chosen, as well as women and men who have made the choice not to belong to marital unions, or are not in any specific relationship currently due to commitments in their career that are binding them at the moment,” Tahinduka said.
“We advocate for a broader interpretation of who can access ART services in order to prevent the introduction of discrimination, contravening Article 31 of the Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to form a family, whether that family is headed by a man alone or a woman alone,” Tahinduka added.
Sarah Opendi, the former Minister of State for Health (General Duties), introduced a private members’ bill in March 2024 seeking to regulate human assisted reproductive technology following the increase in the number of people opting for the service in the country.
