The World Health Organization (WHO) a member and secretariat for the Health Development Partners (HDP) hosted the first interactive meeting with the Health Committee of the10th Parliament of Uganda. The objective of the meeting was to orient the newly constituted Parliamentary Health Committee (PHC) about the work of HDP in supporting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to provide better health services.

The HDP, through their Chair, Mr. Walter Cools, from the Kingdom of Belgium, affirmed their commitment to supporting the Government of Uganda in delivering health services to the people of Uganda. They further appealed to the PHC to be vigilant and monitor appropriation and implementation of the budget allocated to the health sector. HDP also emphasized the need to improve supervision at the service level especially HCII and III. The HDP drew attention to the health audit reports submitted to government and called on the members of Parliament to focus on the recommendations in these reports which are key in addressing health challenges in Uganda. 

The meeting also highlighted the need to use the working relationship between the HDP and the PHC to ensure appropriate resource allocation to achieve the best optimum health benefits for the country. Further to this, the HDP stressed the need to plan according to the resources available, to improve service delivery.

The PHC, through their Chair, Hon. Dr. Michael Bukenya, also affirmed their commitment to work closely with the HDP highlighting their mandate, Monitoring and Evaluation, Budget and Financing and Representation and committed to upholding it. Accordingly, PHC requested for similar biannual meetings to discuss and get guidance from HDP. They further applauded the valuable information and research findings shared by the HDP stressing their importance to guide the PHC during parliamentary deliberations. The Members of Parliament (MPs) also called on the HDP to lobby government to invest more in disease prevention because it is less costly than treatment. The delegates agreed to share information more especially research findings, conduct joint PHC & HDP field visits, plan effectively while cognizant of the rapid population growth and ensure that the Health Sector Development Plan (HSDP) 2015/16 - 2019/20 aligns with the National Development Plan (NDPII) 2015/16 – 2019/20.

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For more information, please contact:

Mwebembezi Edmond, Public Information Officer, Tel. Reception: +256 414 335569, Cell: +256 782 962674, Email:mwebembezie [at] who.int