Kigoma, Tanzania – When Agatha Julius, a 19-year-old refugee in Nyarugusu camp, first heard about the community health outreach, she hesitated. Like many young women, she had questions about family planning but was unsure where to turn.

“I never thought I could openly ask questions about family planning and get services without fear of being judged,” Agatha said. “Today I feel confident and informed to make decisions for my future.”

Agatha’s story reflects the reality of many adolescents and youth in humanitarian contexts. Life in the camp comes with limited choices and opportunities, but access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services can make the difference between fear and empowerment, between vulnerability and resilience.

To respond to the growing demand, UNFPA, in partnership with the Tanzania Red Cross Society (TRCS), is bringing integrated SRH outreach services directly into the heart of Nyarugusu camp. These mobile services ensure that refugees—especially young people, women, and persons with disabilities—have access to life-saving health information and care.

In August 2025, UNFPA and TRCS rolled out an integrated outreach in Nyarugusu camp that brought together sexual and reproductive health (SRH), gender-based violence (GBV), and HIV services, reinforced by strong community mobilization. 

The impact was far-reaching. A total of 123 adolescents and young people—45 males and 78 females between the ages of 12 and 24—benefited from information and services on SRH, GBV, and HIV. Among them, 96 youth, including 41 males and 55 females, accessed modern family planning methods. Condoms emerged as the most preferred option, chosen by 44 percent, while 31 percent opted for Implanon and 25 percent for injectables.

The outreach also extended vital support to 142 individuals, 63 males and 79 females, among them 12 persons with disabilities, who sought services related to SRHR, GBV, and harmful practices such as child, early, and forced marriage. Beyond the direct services provided, health care workers and community health workers reached an impressive 1,416 people—664 males and 752 females—with SRH information, breaking barriers of stigma and empowering communities with knowledge that can save lives.

“Every person, including refugees and the most vulnerable, deserves the right to make informed choices about their health and future. What we are witnessing here in Nyarugusu is the power of partnership and commitment translating into real impact. Said Mark Bryan Schreiner, UNFPA Representative, United Republic of Tanzania

These results translate into something powerful: more young people making informed choices, more women accessing safe family planning, more survivors receiving GBV support, and more communities understanding their rights to health and dignity.

UNFPA’s role goes beyond service delivery. Working closely with the Government of Tanzania, TRCS, and other partners, UNFPA is strengthening institutional capacities, training health workers, ensuring the supply of essential commodities, and supporting innovative outreach models that bring rights and choices closer to those most in need.

These numbers demonstrate how strategic investments create tangible change. But for refugees like Agatha, they mean something deeper—a chance to shape her own future.

These efforts are made possible through the generous support of Norway and Ireland, under the United Nations Tanzania Kigoma Joint Programme phase two, which continues to improve the lives of refugees and host communities by ensuring access to quality health, protection, and empowerment services in humanitarian settings—bringing dignity, rights, and hope closer to those who need them most.

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Media Inquiries:

Dr. Warren Bright

UNFPA Communications Analyst, 

United Republic of Tanzania

Phone: +255 764 43 44 45

Email: bwarren@unfpa.org