Uganda
Accelerating impact for girls
Our work in Uganda began in 2021 with a pilot focusing on removing social and financial barriers to sexual and reproductive health and HIV services for young people in Kampala and Arua.
The challenge
A health crisis for adolescent girls
Lack of access to sexual and reproductive healthcare in Uganda drives high rates of unintended pregnancies, school dropouts, unsafe abortions and maternal mortality among adolescent girls. They are also disproportionately impacted by HIV, accounting for two-thirds of new infections. Many cases remain undetected and untreated, as HIV testing among girls is low.
1
in
4
girls aged 15-19 become pregnant.
61
%
unmet need for modern contraceptives among girls aged 15-19.
65
%
girls and women experience sexual, physical or emotional violence.
Poverty and economic pressures drive girls into early marriage or transactional sex. Entrenched gender inequality alongside widespread sexual and physical violence also make it harder for girls’ to negotiate safe sex or refuse coercion. This compounds girls’ exposure to interconnected health risks and undermines their decision-making power. Stigma, lack of health education and peer pressure further deepen the health crisis for Uganda’s adolescent girls.
Our solution
From pilot to continuous growth
Our initial pilot in Kampala paved the way for full implementation, and by late 2024, we expanded to Wakiso. As we grew, we introduced mental health support to our service package in Kampala. In 2025, we integrated sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) to address the triple threat. Today, our work continues to expand in geographical coverage and in the range of services offered to girls.
A bridge connecting girls to quality care
Tiko works in the community with trained youth mobilisers, or Young Adolescent Peer Supporters (YAPS) and Village Health Teams (VHTs) who play a vital role in enrolling at-risk girls into our health ecosystem through our technology-powered platform. Peer-to-peer, the mobilisers provide ongoing support to girls, acting as a bridge between adolescent girls and local health facilities. Through this ecosystem, girls can access everything from contraception and HIV testing to mental health counselling and survivor care following sexual violence. For each service that girls access and rate, Tiko Miles can be exchanged for products such as sanitary pads from partner retailers.
Public-private collaboration for sustainability
Tiko partners with the Ministry of Health and district local governments to strengthen the capacity of health providers across both private and public health facilities. youth-centric services. Together we’re building a system where young people can offer quality, youth-friendly services. We help remove barriers that prevent girls accessing care by:
- covering the cost of services at private clinics and rewarding public facilities that deliver quality care
supporting outreach that brings services closer to the girls - Strengthening the connections between communities and health facilities
Health providers value the support and impact:
Since we started this partnership with Tiko, we have greatly improved in our perception about young people and our team strives to achieve excellence in reaching and serving young people.
Health provider
Hope Medical Centre
Data ensures safe, respectful and effective care
Our data quality assessments and facility improvement plans help guide targeted improvements and mentorship support for our healthcare partners. Assessments focus on:
- verifying service delivery data
- strengthening data completeness and accuracy across facility registers and digital systems
- supporting facilities to identify and address reporting gaps.
Continuous quality improvement strengthens each facility’s performance while ensuring young people receive safe, respectful and effective care.
Explore our ecosystem approach
Tiko connects girls to a no-cost, integrated ecosystem of healthcare and support, designed around their lives. The ecosystem consists of peer mobilisers, community-based organizations, health providers and retailers who are all connected to the Tiko platform to give girls access to family planning, HIV prevention and treatment, sexual violence screening and support, and health products.
Where we work
Meeting urgent demand
We currently operate in Kampala and Wakiso districts, continuing to build partnerships with community organizations and healthcare providers. Our focus is on working with private sector clinics to absorb demand that public health systems currently cannot meet, especially following recent donor funding cuts. In 2024, we strengthened government partnerships through agreements with Wakiso and Mukono district local governments, reinforcing alignment with district health priorities and supporting long-term integration of Tiko’s model within the health system.
Impact
Our impact in numbers in 2025
126,052
lives impacted
233,968
total healthcare services delivered
65,264
contraceptive services delivered
122,736
HIV services delivered
In Uganda, we aim to serve
650,000
girls every year by 2030
Girls’ stories
Be inspired by stories of change
Tiko’s mobiliser fighting for SGBV justice in Kampala
Betty Nanyonga has been a Tiko mobiliser for five years. She moves through the community every day, and on most…
Read More
Justine Nanyonjo: Taking control and inspiring change in her community
In February 2025, a Tiko mobiliser named Geoffrey was walking through the Acholi Quarters, an informal settlement in Kireka on…
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Taking charge of my health and future with Tiko
I come from a simple family. My parents work very hard to support us. My father is a carpenter and…
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How SOMERO community-based organisation is reaching girls through integrated care
In Bwaise, one of Kampala’s largest informal settlements, life is not easy for young people. Poverty, overcrowding, stigma, and limited…
Read MoreRead our evidence briefings
Boosting equitable contraceptive uptake among Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) in Addis Ababa: Insights from an evaluation of Tiko’s SRH programme
Since January 2022, Tiko, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), has worked to increase access to high-quality, youth-friendly family planning services by adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 15–24 across 11 sub-cities of Addis Ababa
Enhancing Access to Integrated Health Services by Adolescents and Young People through the Tiko Platform
Adolescents and young people (AYP) aged 15-24 in Uganda face significant barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH), HIV, and mental health (MH) services due to social stigma, limited service integration, and economic challenges
Impact of the Tiko Platform on Tiko-Integrated and Non-Integrated Facilities: The case of Kampala, Uganda
The Tiko Platform is revolutionizing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery by integrating digital tools that enhance accessibility, streamline data management, and improve service delivery.
Read our insights
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A promising blueprint for maternal and child health
Breaking the cycle – how group antenatal care is transforming adolescent girls’ and child health in Kenya
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Ten things we can learn about the role of AI in revolutionising community-centred public health reforms
Key takeaways from our all-women panel discussion ‘From Promise to Dignity: Powering Human-Centred Care with AI’ hosted by Tiko at the 2025 Global Digital Health Forum
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Standing with girls against sexual and gender-based violence
Violence forces girls out of school, fuels unintended pregnancies and increases vulnerability to HIV. Why addressing SGBV is a key pillar of tackling the triple threat.
Contact our Uganda team
