Gov’t asked to integrate HIV, sexual reproductive health services

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Civil society Organizations which deal with Gender-Based Violence [GBV], Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights [SRHR] and HIV have called on the Ministry of Health to integrate these services to enable people to easily access them.

Addressing the media today in Kampala, the coalition of 23 organizations that deals with the above issues said that according to their research, many Ugandans lack access to reproductive health and HIV facilities because each is offered by a different government organization.

Monja Minsi, the business development and advocacy manager at the Aids Information Centre Uganda said that if the government were to integrate these services, it would reduce the amount of money it spends on organizations that offer these different services.

He said that available evidence demonstrates that integrating comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights/HIV and GBV services provide an opportunity to increase access and uptake of quality HIV and reproductive health services that improve programme efficiency.

He called on the government to increase local funding to the health sector, not to leave it to foreign donors to improve access by all those who need them. Uganda’s health sector is largely funded by foreign organizations like USAID, Global Fund among others. For her part, Winifred Ikilai, an officer with the National Forum for People Living with HIV/AIDS Network in Uganda [NAFOPHANU] said HIV, GBV and SRHR are interlinked and therefore must be handled as one.

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