The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
By Flavia Nassaka
According to the health sector budget frame work paper, the budgetary allocation to the health sector has been reduced from 1. 282 trillion last financial year to 1.227 for 2015/16 financial year recording a 4% reduction.
This according to civil society organizations (CSOs) will water down the efforts that have been put in place to stop maternal, new born and child mortality and also access to essential health services.
Dennis Odwe, a member of civil society said even with the previous budget, Ugandans have been dying without access to essential health care because the funding has not been enough to cater for all Ugandans both in terms of enough health workers and facilities.
CSOs were meeting members of the parliamentary committee on health whereby they urged legislators not to pass the 2015/16 budget unless the crisis of inadequate motivation, retention and recruitment of health workers is prioritized through increased funding.
The fact that the budget is to be passed amidst preparations for the 2016 elections, CEHURD’s Primah Kwagala urged Ugandans not to vote for legislators who are not bothered against the health of their voters.
She said among voters’ priorities is health and as such no one would support a legislator who doesn’t prioritize issues such as correcting medicine stock outs or increasing health financing.
However, according to the frame work, government’s contribution is at 775,917 billion (63%) whereas 451, 939 billion (37%) is through external financing.
