Uganda commits to Universal Health Coverage by 2030, prioritizing financial protection

24 September 2024, 11:24 pm

By Byamukama Alozious

Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, emphasising financial protection as a critical pillar.

Addressing a gathering at the UN Headquarters, Dr. Aceng highlighted Uganda’s progress, with its service coverage index doubling from 22% to 50% between 2000 and 2020. However, she acknowledged challenges persist, particularly in financial protection, with 13.6% of Ugandans facing catastrophic health expenditures in 2020.

To address this, Uganda has undertaken comprehensive reforms. The country has increased its domestic health budget by over 100% in three years and implemented efficiency reforms to optimise resource use. Additionally, Uganda has improved access to medicines through National Medical Stores and digitised logistics and introduced results-based financing in primary healthcare with a revised resource allocation formula.

These efforts have yielded positive results, with out-of-pocket health spending decreasing from 44% to 28% between 2017/18 and 2020/21.

Uganda aims to allocate 15% of government expenditure and 4% of GDP to health, in line with the Abuja Declaration. The country is also exploring innovative financing mechanisms, such as sin taxes and debt-to-health swaps, and establishing a national health insurance scheme.

“Financial protection is at the heart of our mission to achieve UHC,” Dr. Aceng emphasised. “We remain committed to ensuring health systems work for all, especially the most vulnerable.”

Uganda’s efforts align with global initiatives to tackle pressing health challenges, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), by promoting equitable access to affordable medicines and reducing unnecessary out-of-pocket spending.