HEALTH SYSTEMS IN UGANDA

The National Health Systems (NHS) in Uganda comprises all the institutions, structures and actors whose actions have the primary purpose of achieving and sustaining good health.  The boundaries of Uganda’s National Health System encompass the public sector including the health services of the army, police and prisons; the private health delivery system comprising of the private-not-for-profit organizations (PNFP), private health practitioners (PHP), the traditional and complementary medicine practioners (TCMP); and the communities.  The role of government in health service provision continue to be vital for the foreseeable future, and full integration of the private providers into the NHS an important policy objective.

Functions of the National Health System

Stewardship of the sector including policy appraisal and development; oversight of health sector activities; assuring quality, health equity and fairness in contribution towards the cost of health care; harnessing the contribution of other health-related sectors; ensuring that the sector is responsive to expectations of the population; and to be accountable for the performance of the wider health sector.

Provision of preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative services

Policy and Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

Mobilization of resources including human resources, health infrastructure, medicines and other health supplies, finance data and information, etc.

Organization of the National Health System

The National Health Policy objective for the National Health System is to restructure the organization and management of the Ministry of Health and the District Health System to ensure effective harmony and linkages between the centre and the districts on the one hand and public and private components on the other.  It further calls for the establishment of “a network of functional, efficient and sustainable health infrastructure for effective health care delivery closer to the people”.  In pursuit of this objective, Government will:

(a)    Develop mechanisms to ensure equity in access to basic services for the most life threatening health problems, particularly to avert pregnancy and birth-related deaths and the childhood killer diseases.

(b)   Build and strengthen the capacity of health facilities to improve health service provision.

(c)    Strengthen and rationally expand the national health infrastructure through a medium term health facility development plan.

(d)   Establish an appropriate and efficiently functioning referral system.

The national standard is to have the following structures in place and functional.

(i)                 Ministry of Health and other National Level Institutions

(ii)               National Referral Hospitals (27,000,000)

(iii)             Regional Referral Hospitals (2,000,000 population)

(iv)             District Health Services (District level, 500,000 population)

(v)               Health Sub-District

§      Referral Facility – General Hospital (District level – 500,000 pop) or  Health Centre IV (Country level – 100,000 pop)

§      Health Centre III – (sub-country level – 20,000 population)

§      Health Centre II – (Parish Level – 5,000 population)

§      Health Centre I – (Village health Team – 1,000 population)

Promoters of Clare Nsenga Foundation in Uganda are:

                                            i.      Pius Bigirimana                      – Country Director

                                          ii.      Dr. Damian Ndagijimana        – Medical Advisor

                                        iii.      Rosemary Binsobedde           – Treasurer

                                        iv.      Elizabeth Bigirimana               – Administrative Secretary

                                          v.      Tadeo Munyangeyo               – Chairman, Management Committee Clare     

   Nsenga Health Centre