Kampala, February 21, 2024 – Well being Growth Companions (HDPs) in Uganda have pledged to enhance the harmonization and coordination of their efforts to successfully help the nationwide well being growth plan and price range in 2024. This dedication was made at their latest HDP annual retreat held on the World Well being Group (WHO) in Uganda, which is the secretariat of the HDP Discussion board.
The retreat introduced collectively thirty growth companions’ representatives and UN companies. They mentioned methods to enhance their help to strengthen the well being system in Uganda. These embrace enhancing well being service supply, advocating for sustainable well being financing by means of simpler and environment friendly utilization of growth help for well being, and growing authorities funding to the well being sector.
Different areas of focus embrace supporting the scale-up of the neighborhood well being program, digitizing processes to enhance well timed well being interventions, strengthening adolescent well being companies, significantly lowering teenage being pregnant, and pandemic preparedness.
In his presentation, Dr Richard Kabanda, Commissioner for Well being Promotion, Schooling, and Strategic Communication on the Ministry of Well being, acknowledged the help supplied by growth companions to advance Uganda’s well being agenda, particularly in neighborhood well being.
“Communities are on the middle of all well being interventions. There’s an pressing want to enhance their resilience by strengthening Village Well being Staff constructions, enhancing funding for Group Well being Extension Employees (CHEWs), and guaranteeing harmonization of actions throughout main public well being campaigns”, he acknowledged.
With help from the HDPs, the Ministry launched the neighborhood well being technique and is rolling out the CHEWs program that was piloted efficiently within the Mayuge and Lira districts.
Equally, Dr. Rose Okot-Chono, the Staff Lead of Well being System Strengthening at america Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID) and Chair of the HDP Discussion board known as on all companions to align their motion plans with authorities priorities. “As well being growth companions, we’ve got totally different priorities. Nevertheless, to have a big affect, we should always align our help with the priorities of the Ugandan authorities,” she stated.
Subsequently, the UNFPA Deputy Nation Consultant and Co-chair of the HDP Discussion board, Mr. Daniel Alemu, emphasised the essential nature of the present 12 months’s actions, significantly concerning the validation and finalization of the Nationwide Well being Coverage 3. “This coverage is essential for advancing key well being priorities within the coming years,” he acknowledged.
In 2023, the HDP supported the Ministry of Well being in conducting and publishing the 2022 Uganda Demographic Well being Survey (UDHS), which highlighted important reductions in maternal, toddler, and under-five mortality. The UDHS informs decision-making and interventions to enhance well being service supply within the nation.
As well as, Well being Growth Companions continued to help the Ministry of Well being’s efforts in the direction of monetary sustainability by advocating for a rise within the allocation of nationwide assets to the well being sector. This has resulted in a rise of over UGX 200 billion in nationwide assets allotted to the well being sector, from UGX 3,684.56 billion in FY 2022/23 to UGX 3,895.70 billion in FY 2023/24.
The WHO Consultant to Uganda and everlasting Co-chair of the HDP Discussion board, Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, urged growth companions to construct belief, transparency, and accountability by means of data sharing. “We have to doc our interventions and finest practices to enhance international locations’ preparedness for well being emergencies. This can even promote transparency and accountability, enhancing belief between companions and authorities,” he defined.
The Uganda Well being Growth Companions Discussion board has been actively engaged in health-related initiatives since 1997. Its three fundamental goals are: to supply a discussion board for coordination between companions working within the well being sector to align their actions with authorities plans and budgets; to extend the effectiveness and effectivity of the implementation of the well being sector growth plan; and to strengthen accountability between authorities and growth companions.