Over 200 delegates have converged at Serena Hotel in Kampala for a three-day symposium on Health Financing for Universal Health Coverage.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health, Uganda who also represented the Right Hon. Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda.
Dr. Aceng urged the stakeholders and participants to focus on the reality that health is a personal responsibility. “No one is responsible for your health; it is you to do it”.
The Minister also affirmed government’s commitment towards new innovations, dialogue and use of resources to pursue the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through financing reforms such as National Health Insurance, voucher systems for maternal deliveries and Results-Based Financing under the World Bank- Global Financing Facility.
The representative of the European Union Delegation to Uganda, Mr. Tarik Kubach noted that ‘although health has not been selected as a focal sector under the 11th EDF program, the EU also strives to foster partnerships with countries in the development of policies and reforms to address the root causes of existing challenges and constraints to sustainable health financing such as the case with the SPEED project.
He said the EU globally continues to provide support to broader health system strengthening, health planning, health financing and policy dialogue which will all contribute directly towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
The Makerere University Vice-Chancellor elect, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe communicated the University’s commitment to supporting government efforts with evidence and technical support for policymaking. He said the University generated over 95% of all the research produced in Uganda.
Professor Charles Ibingira, the Principal Makerere University College of Health Sciences committed the College on continued production of evidence but challenged the Ministry of Health to ensure that once policies have been produced, they are implemented well.
In his remarks, Professor William Bazeyo, the Dean School of Public Health, requested the Ministry of Health to assign the School the role of engaging Members of Parliament and providing them with technical support to understand and appreciate issues regarding the national health insurance financing.
