DSW's take on the National Budget allocation for the health sector

 The health sector budget has this year been increased from 1.227trillion (FY 2015/16) to 1.828 trillion (FY 2016/17) giving a nominal increase of 607.55 billion shillings (approximately 50% increase). The 50% increment to the health sector budget is a commendable step towards availability of health services to the citizens of this country. Major increments have been reflected in Ministry of Health vote (505.56bn), Uganda cancer Institute (25.67bn) and National Medical Stores (10bn) to offset currency depreciation in drug procurement, district primary health care (30.86bn), and regional referral hospitals (19.86bn), and Mulago Complex(7.04bn). The 10bn additional allocation to National Medical Stores to offset currency depreciation in drug procurement means that the net allocation for drugs procurement is 00 billion Uganda shillings this financial year.

While reading the budget, the Minister of Finance noted that, " in the next financial year, focus will be placed on accelerating interventions to improve availability of healthcare workers at health centers, enhancing maternal, new born and child health in order too reduce the high number of deaths. Government will also continue to prioritize implementation of the National Prevention Strategy of HIV/AIDS and also expand Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART) coverage to 80%, with an emphasis on testing and treatment of the 'most at risk' population, and elimination of Mother to child Transmission".

DSW is supporting people living with HIV to embrace modern family planning methods. Some of the beneficiaries of National insurance system are the people living with HIV for example, most health insurance companies apart from Jubilee Insurance Company do not cover for HIV testing. We are also talked about the implementation of the AIDS Trust Fund and how it will help in funding for HIV related services.

Health Financing Radio Talk Show

15th-June-2016, DSW Uganda together with the International Community of Women Living with HIV in East Africa(ICWEA) and Action Group for Health, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS (AGHA) will be participating in the Health Financing radio  talk show tonight on Radio One-(Spectrum Talk Show) at 7pm to discuss the new 2016/17 budget allocation for the health sector. Ms. Diana Tibesigwa, managing the "Securing Health through Advocacy and People's Empowerment," (SHAPE-Uganda) will represent DSW-Uganda.

#Health #Financing #Uganda #Budgeting #BudgetAdvocacy #YoungPeople #FamilyPlanning #SRHR


Posted by Esther Namirimu- Communications Officer -DSW Uganda

Summary of the Uganda National Budget allocations

The Minister of Finance, Hon. Matia Kasaija presented the 2016/17 National Budget on Wednesday 8th June 2016. Below is a summary of the sector nominal allocations. The total budget is sh26.361 trillion.

70% of the UGX26.3 trillion Financial Year (FY) 2016/17 budget to be funded locally, compared to the 85% for the FY2015/16. 30% of the FY2016/17 UGX26.3 trillion budget to be sourced from donors and borrowing. Uganda Revenue Authority has a task of collecting UGX12.9 trillion in taxes for the FY2016/17. Tax increases expected on cement, sugar, fuel. Interest payments due totaling to UGX6.4 trillion. UGX26.3 trillion FY2016/17 budget, UGX2 trillion bigger than FY2015/16, is the biggest Uganda has ever had # UGBudget1.

 #Health #Budget #Advocacy #FamilyPlanning #SRHR #YoungPeople #Gender

1,850billion allocated to the Health Sector National Budget

As compared to last year (FY2015/16), the Health Budget for FY 2016/17 was increased by 44% (i.e UGX 1,270.81bn for FY2015/16 to UGX 1,850 bn for 2016/17). Major investments are being made towards Infrastructure development and renovations of health centers across the country and the Cancer Institute has over 150% increment -this obviously due to the radio-therapy machine breakdown & the fact that they are starting to operate independent of Mulago this FY among others. There are really cosmetic and minimal changes towards the medicines and Non Wage bill but there is an increment. This is the Visual summary of the health sector national budget allocation.

 

#Health #Budgeting #FamilyPlanning #SRHR #YoungPeople #HealthWorkers 

Posted by Esther Namirimu

 

DSW Youth Champions dominate the Annual SRHR Youth Camp

By Esther Namirimu

DSW Youth Champions dominated the six day event annual SRHR Youth Camp which was held at Hannah Mixed School in Nsangi. Using life skills and knowledge on SRHR impacted to them DSW, the youth champions facilitated Focus Group Discussions on menstrual hygiene, teenage pregnancy, family planning, condom use demonstration, HIV and other Sexually transmitted diseases. 

Ms. Olivia Nanono, DSW Youth Champion training young people about menstrual health during the SRHR youth camp

 This was a life changing opportunity for more than 30 skilled youth champions to outshine the young people who had no idea about Sexual Reproductive Health.

Considering the fact that teenagers in East Africa are still facing challenges of unwanted pregnancies and STDs, this year’s camp was timely and it has created an environment where young people build networks with each other and can interact with their peers freely.

Through activities like games and sports, young people tapped on life skills and sexual reproductive health knowledge every afternoon.

Ms. Olivia explaining more about menstrual hygiene

Group photo of Youth Champions who conducted sesseions at the SRHR Youth Camp.

 

Photos by Esther Namirimu

Securing Health through Advocacy and People’s Empowerment

Securing Health through Advocacy and People’s Empowerment (SHAPE) is a three-year program by implemented by DSW to mobilize more and better funds from key European donors (Germany, EU) as well as from East African governments (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda). 

Over the next three years, DSW will build on its proven successes in advocacy and capacity building through previous grant phases in Germany, at the EU level as well as in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

This will measurably increase overall ODA, in particular for GH, including investments in Global Health Research and Development (GH R&D) and family planning (FP), as well as domestic funding for FP in East African countries.