Stanbic Donates mama kits in run up to World Population Day

Ahead of the World Population Day to be marked on July 11, Stanbic Bank has partnered with the National Planning Authority (NPA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to make a donation of mama kits.

During a news conference at the Uganda Media Centre to highlight UNFPA’s 2025 State of World Population Report, John Tumwine, Head Public Sector Client Coverage at Stanbic Bank said, “On behalf of Stanbic Bank, I’m honoured to join hands today in reflecting on the state of the World Population Report. That reminds us not just of statistics and projections but of people, families and the future we are all shaping together.”

He said the donation of 200 mama kits is a small, but significant gesture, because behind each kit is a mother who deserves safety, a new born who deserves a healthy start and a community that benefits when care is extended at the most critical moment which is birth.

“As a financial institution, deeply embedded in Uganda’s development journey, we understand the economic growth is inseparable from human development. So investing in maternal health is not charity; for us, it’s foresight. It is legacy building and it aligns with our purpose as Stanbic Bank Uganda which is ‘Uganda is our home and we drive her growth’.”

According to the latest UNFPA report, millions of people are unable to have the number of children they want, not because they are rejecting parenthood, but due to economic and social barriers.

First launched globally on June 10 2025, the report emphasized that the real fertility crisis is not overpopulation or under population, but rather the inability of individuals to realize their desired fertility goals due to lack of reproductive agency.

Drawing on academic research and new data from a UNFPA/YouGov survey spanning 14 countries, the report also reveals that one in five people globally expect not to have the number of children they desire due to economic and social barriers, rather than a lack of interest in parenthood.

Dr. Gift Malunga, UNFPA Representative in Uganda said, “The issue is lack of choice, not desire, with major consequences for individuals and societies. That is the real fertility crisis, and the solution lies in responding to what people say they need: paid family leave, affordable fertility care, and supportive partners.”

Furthermore, the report reveals that more than half of respondents cited economic issues as barriers to having children, while one-in-five people said they felt pressured to have children when they did not want to. One in three adults experienced an unintended pregnancy.

“At UNFPA, we believe that every individual has the right to have the number and spacing of children they desire without coercion or force. We urge governments to invest in health, education, skills development and supportive policies such as parental leave, and access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, to enable informed and voluntary reproductive choices,” Dr. Malunga said.

Tumwine, appreciated NPA and UNFPA for the critical role they play in shaping inclusive policies and translating vision into tangible impact.

He said, “Together, let us reaffirm our commitment to a Uganda where every mother delivers with dignity and every child begins life with hope.”