Health Issues
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HEALTHSEPTEMBER 2O17/ ISSUE NO. 3 NEWSLETTER Health Issues With this quartely health the Private-not-for-profit project In this issue: newsletter the Belgian and Support to development of Development Agency (BTC) and Human Resources. > Result based financing the Ministry of Health of Uganda The Ministry of Health will use want to reach out to health this platform to communicate on > News from Ministry workers all over Uganda and health issues. The newsletter of Health of Uganda health policy makers on both the will also give a voice to health national and district level. workers and will keep you > ICB II and PNFP updates updated on the implementation You will be updated on the of the new result-based > Interviews with nurses development of our Institutional financing system. Capacity Building project, on THE BELGIAN BTC UGANDA DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA Ministry of Health Result based financing: Belgium govt allocates Shs 3.5 billion for rural health centers in West Nile By Felix Okello not want to attend both ante-natal and West Nile press deliveries in health units. A patient from Atido village in Erussi Sub-county, Oliver Kintho, said: “When I Arua. The Belgium government has came here, I was made to pay Shs 2,000 THE FUNDS allocated Shillings 3.5 billion to 23 health although the total bill could be Shs 5,000 centers, under the PNFP project. For the Adjumani 133 million because I was told that there is reduced ICB II project, there is an extra 2.6B UGX Moyo 92 million cost now of health. The high costs of allocated in West Nile and hospitals to health care had scared away many rural ensure increased patient attendance and Yumbe 131 million poor to resort to herbs or come when offering of quality health care to patients Koboko 46 million their condition is at the verge of death.” in the period of 2017/18 Financial Year. Maracha 511 million The Belgian government is funding the During the Health Sector Review Meeting Nebbi 1 billion health centers in West Nile and Rwenzori for West Nile that ended recently, the Arua 852 million regions after thorough assessment BTC National Technical Assistant, Mwaka Zombo 684 million and verification of the beneficiary Agoba, said: “Through this funding, we health centers. The Assistant Chief want to ensure that the quality health Administrative Officer for Arua, Martin care for the rural community who are Andua, said: “Many of the health centers poor improve. The money will also enable “When I came here, I was made to pay especially in rural areas are limping. the poor patients to pay half or less than Shs 2,000 although the total bill could be They have virtually become hard to reach what they used to because we subsidize Shs 5,000 because I was told that there is areas. We need to have robust programs the health centers to offer the services.” reduced cost now of health. The high costs to revive the centers and curb the theft He said through the Result Based of health care had scared away many of drugs because it affects the quality of Financing, the focus is to ensure that rural poor to resort to herbs or come health care.” there is improvement in maternal and when their condition is now worse at the child health where some mothers still do verge of death.” 2 HEALTH newsletter Update from Ministry of Health of Uganda Uganda renews commitment to better breastfeeding practices as the world marks breastfeeding week 2017 As part of the week-long activities to By Vivian Serwanjja commemorate World Breastfeeding & Abirahmi Kananathan Week, over fifty cultural leaders from 17 cultural institutions in Uganda pledged ganda joined the rest of the 98% their commitment and support to World to commemorate World encourage mothers to breastfeed their UBreastfeeding Week under the The percentage number of infants are initiated children. theme “Sustaining Breastfeeding Week to breastfeeding within the first one hour of life. Together for a Healthy Nation”, an annual However, only 66% of infants are exclusively According to the Uganda Demographic event that takes place between August 1 breastfed for the first six months of life and 32% Health Survey 2016, 98% of infants are and August 7. are mixed fed while 2% are not breastfed at all. initiated to breastfeeding within the first one hour of life. However, only 66% of During the commemoration event, this year’s theme, workplace feeding infants are exclusively breastfed for the State Minister for Primary Health Care, first six months of life and 32% are mixed Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu underscored policies should be put in place and breastfeeding facilities introduced at fed while 2% are not breastfed at all. Government efforts in surpassing the Currently, there are numerous myths Global targets of at least 50% of infants workplaces. A senior pediatrician at Mulago Hospital, surrounding breastfeeding among several exclusively breastfeeding. She, however cultures. This prompted cultural leaders noted that mothers need adequate Dr. Jolly Nankunda advised mothers against initiating babies on infant formula. to join in the campaign to sensitize support to allow them breast feed their their subjects on the importance of babies up to two years. “Infant formula unlike breast milk does not have protective factors that help the breastfeeding. “Men, I challenge you to support women child’s body to fight the diseases” she said. This meeting provided a platform for to enable them successfully breastfeed. the leaders to present myths from their Provide mothers with more space and “The only situation where a mother respective traditions and regions on time to feed their babies, by taking up breastfeeding. Clarence Bwambale, household activities during feeding time” can avoid breastfeeding is when she is suffering from a disease such as cancer spokesperson for the Obusinga bwa Hon. Kaducu urged. She added that men Rwenzururu said that women going need to support women in attending at and is on chemotherapy” Dr. Nankunda stated. She said that HIV-positive through their monthly menstruation period least four antenatal care (ANC) visits are considered unhealthy and therefore during pregnancy and provide nutrient mothers are advised to exclusively breastfeed their babies as both mother not supposed to breastfeed their babies rich foods for the breastfeeding mother. as the milk is considered to be bad. Cecilia De Bustos, Nutrition Specialist at and baby are on treatment, hence reducing the risk of infection. Samalie Namukose, Principal Nutritionist UNICEF noted that in order to achieve at Ministry of Health expressed shock upon learning some of the myths. She also took the opportunity to caution mothers against initiating their babies on formula earlier than recommended. “Manufacturers of baby foods are taking advantage of mothers by claiming that formula foods are better than breastmilk and this is highly misleading” she said. “I urge all cultural leaders to sensitize and encourage your subjects to breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months” Namukose said. Breastfeeding contributes to healthy growth and development, protecting children during their critical first two years and later in life. It benefits the economies, lowers health care costs and ultimately boosts productivity for the nation. 3 HEALTH newsletter PNFP Update II (ICB II). This will enable every By Dora Anek focus from its start on sustainability, with supported PNFP and public health facility & Hannes De Meyer a broader strategic approach (health (79), districts (16) and other planning financing mechanisms) and maintained stakeholders to develop, update and mong key achieved, on-going and in the 2 pilot regions in 16 districts. implement their own specific long term planned activities of the PNFP Strategic Plan (2018-2023) and Annual Aproject are: Capacity building process in strategic Work Plan. planning •Training of hospital board management A majority of health facilities have •Supporting the finalization of the draft The Ministry of Health (MoH) in problems with planning, financial for implementation plan for the PPPH collaboration with BTC and the districts budgeting and long-term vision. Almost Strategy. (15) in the Rwenzori and West Nile none of them (especially HCIII) have •Conduct review meetings with DHT and region embarked on a capacity building a long term strategic plan, lack a facilities on verification and reporting. process in strategic planning of health comprehensive one or this plan is not •Training of Newly qualified (accredited) facilities and districts in July 2017. implemented. A strategic plan with PNFP facilities in RBF and Business This one-year programme is part of financial budgeting can be a key tool Plan development. the Private-non-for profit (PNFP) and to guide an organisation in its long- Institutional Capacity Building Project term growth, autonomy and quality As a pilot for the RBF financing, it improvement. becomes important to note that an effective RBF requires effective data This strategic planning process management (data mining), which is comprises 6 step-by-step sessions. Each maybe the most difficult part of the session is organised every 8 weeks, system. It is foreseen that from the during a period of 1 year. Each session wealth of data that RBF will provide, will focus on a specific topic of the long- key performance indicators will be term strategic plan. identified. This will provide evidence of successes and weaknesses that will The first two sessions of the strategic enable to constantly improve the system planning process were organised in the health sector.The achievement of together with the MoH. 79 health both PNFP and ICB II projects will be facilities, 16 districts and 15 other complemented after closure by the new organisations attended these first two project “Support to Strategic Purchasing sessions comprising of more than 400 of Health Services in Uganda” which will participants.