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       Uganda's Parliament Threatens to Block Budget Over Health Funding

   by Andrew Green

   KAMPALA, Uganda -- Members of parliament say they will block the
   passage of Uganda's budget unless there is a substantial increase in
   funding for health care. With the budget debate scheduled to open this
   week, parliamentarians called on the government to do more to address
   what they say is a health emergency.

   In Uganda, there are fewer than two health workers for every 1,000
   people - a level the World Health Organization defines as a severe
   shortage.

   Uganda's social services committee, which has initial oversight of the
   country's health budget, pushed a resolution through parliament last
   week threatening to hold up approval of the entire budget unless
   funding to recruit and retain new health workers is increased.

   Committee members, with support from the Women's Parliamentary
   Association, called for a specific increase of at least $103 million to
   the sector.
   Rosemary Nyakikongoro, a parliamentarian and vice chairperson of the
   association, said that would be enough money to fill more than half of
   the positions for doctors, nurses and midwives at government health
   centers.

   Until the money is forthcoming, she said, parliamentarians are prepared
   to hold up voting on the budget.

   "Our health sector is lagging behind, especially in terms of health
   personnel. We have limited human resources," said Nyakikongoro. "For
   that matter, as parliament, we are not going to pass this budget - not
   the health sector budget, but the entire budget - until government
   recommits itself to increasing the health sector budget by 260 billion
   shillings [$103 million]."

   In addition to the funding increase, the parliamentarians are calling
   for an end to a wage freeze for current employees and a ban on
   recruiting new health workers. They also are demanding a supplementary
   pool of money to improve health care in communities that are
   particularly short staffed.

   "All members of parliament are concerned, even in their districts where
   they come from, all health centers have less than 50 percent staffing,"
   said Nyakikongoro. "We all want to see all our health facilities well
   facilitated in terms of personnel."

   Nyakikongoro said government officials from the Ministry of Finance
   have not responded to the parliamentarians' resolution.

   The current draft budget allocates $307.5 million to the health sector
   - around 7 percent of the total budget. Even before the budget was
   officially introduced, Ministry of Health officials had acknowledged
   there would not be enough money to fill health worker gaps.

   Without more doctors, nurses and midwives, though, activists say the
   country's health indicators will continue to deteriorate. They pointed
   specifically to an increase in Uganda's HIV prevalence rate from 6.4
   percent in 2005 to 7.3 percent last year.

   Mable Kukunda, a program officer with Uganda National Health Consumers'
   Organization, applauded the parliamentarians' move.
   "We think that with the current crisis of health workers that is in the
   country, we think that is the right move that parliament has done,"
   said Kukunda.
   Following all of the committee reports, the budget is scheduled to move
   to the entire parliament for debate this week. It is traditionally
   passed by the middle of September.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/uganda_parliament_threatens_to_block_budget_over_health_funding/1501395.html