CSOs call for enhanced funding of health sector
What you need to know:
- Budget. The health budget for the next financial year 2023/2024 has been slashed to 6.5 percent from 7.2 percent in the current financial year.
A coalition of 16 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), has called on government to increase the budget funding for the health sector.
The coalition in their joint position paper released to the media on Tuesday noted that it’s the majority poor who bear the brunt of less funding by government to the health sector.
Some of the concerns identified by the CSOs include inadequate funding to operationalise the national ambulance system, inadequate financing for primary health care, human resources for health, malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV/Aids services essential medicines and commodities, maternal and new born health.
“We highlight the need for addressing the social and economic determinants of health. While government policies and some budget allocations are responsive to our concerns, structural challenges such as frequent drug-outs, reliance on external financing, and underpaid and overwhelmed medical staff; serve as critical barriers to access to health services,” the joint position paper read in part.
“We ask the government to provide enough financial and technical resources to the above highlighted concerns in the implementation of the health sub programmes in order to serve, save and secure the lives of all Ugandans,” it added.
The health budget for the next financial year 2023/2024 has been slashed to 6.5 percent from 7.2 percent in the current financial year.
According to the Maputo Protocol 2005, each member African country is expected to allocate 16 percent of its total budget to the health sector. Uganda is one of the member states.
The CSOs are Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (Cehurd), PATH, Living Goods Uganda, Akina Mama Wa Afrika, IPAS For reproductive health, Action Group for Health Rights and HIV/A (AGHA Uganda), and Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group, White Ribbon.
Others are Uganda Health System Strengthening Activity, Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS Uganda), SAMASHA, Uganda National Health User/ Consumers Organisation (UNHCO), Population Services International (PSI), Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), Faith for Family Health Initiative (3FHI), and Save the Children International.
Ms Rita Atukwasa, the Mbarara City Woman MP, promised to rally her colleagues to prioritise the health sector when it comes to funding.
