Health care priorities; who is the real enemy?!

1. budget allocation; a real enermy to the success of the right to health in uganda
“Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them.”-
Albert Einstein. This notion rhymes well with the trend taken
by civil society organizations in Uganda. They have won the
hats of intellectuals and not geniuses, in solving human rights
related problems. This they have done through empowering
communities to demand for rights, developed research
programs, and litigated in the areas of health among others,
While these interventions are necessary to address some key
underlying issues of human rights abuses, it could be
improved by first tackling the root cause of limited success of human rights.
It is not surprising that many of the human rights violations that call for the need for civil society to
intervene, are mainly due to the limited government budgetary resources attributed to key sectors such
as health, education and the judiciary. One of the key issues that have been discussed and strategies
developed by CEHURD a civil society organisation committed to social justice in health, is the budget
allocation to the health sector.
An analysis of the budgetary allocations to the Health Sector shows a 5% increment of the budgetary
allocations to health in the FY 2015/2016 compared to FY 2014/2015. In April 2001, the African Union
Heads of State, including the Ugandan President, met in Abuja, Nigeria and pledged to increase
government funding of the health sector to at least 15% of the national budget. Despite this commitment
however, Uganda’s allocation to the health sector for the past 5 years stagnantly remained between 7-
9%. This is a clear indication that either there is a lack of political will to realize the enjoyment of the
right to health by its citizens or that it has failed on its commitment made in 2001 at Abuja. It is no
wonder that the sector is constantly ailed with shortage of medicines supply, low remuneration for
medical staff, low staffing in public health centers, poor health facilities all over the country among
others. commend
The continued limited allocation of the national budget to the health sector coupled with resultant
human rights violations (that obviously occur due to the limited budget) saw CEHURD and others
institute a case to try to remedy the situation. The case filed against Wakiso District Local Government
(CEHURD, Emmanuella Anzoyo, suing through next friend Christine Munduru & anor v Wakiso
The writer: Ms.Juliana

2. District Local Government & Medical Superintendent, Entebbe General Hospital)highlights of the
Entebbe General Hospital, which is located in Wakiso District to stalk and provide free rabies medicine
to individuals bitten by stray animals. This case highlights a story of an 8 year old, Emmanuella
Anzoyo who was bitten by a stray dog in Kasenyi (one of the suburbs along Entebbe road). Her mother
was quick to take her to Entebbe General Hospital for treatment. The poor woman (who has no job and
under the care of good Samaritans) was asked to pay Ugx. 250,000 for the dosage of the anti-rabies
vaccine for her daughter. It should be noted that once this vaccine is not administered in the first ten
days, it is automatic that the patient dies.
How does this relate to limited budgetary allocations? A close look at the sectorial budgetary
allocations, reveals that National Medical Stores funding has remained the same as the last financial
year. This is so despite the recent 2014 census reports that portrays an increase in the national
population to 37 million people. The injustice in this case lies in the fact that the rabies vaccine was not
economically accessible to young Emmanuelle, since it was too expensive. Her mother needed money
that she did not have, making the medicine inaccessible to her, thereby amounting to a violation of
Emmanuelle's right to health. With the continued budgetary allocations to health, there will be continued
limited access to medicine, and hence the subsequent achievement of the right to health in Uganda this
financial year, as there will be limited resources to work with.
It is the role of governments to promote fulfill and protect individuals’ right to health. This stretches to
the government’s responsibility to ensure that essential medicines such as the rabies vaccine are
available and accessible by the people. Once government falls short of its aforementioned obligation, it
is the role of civil society to awaken it to this. One way could be making a shadow budget that is aimed
at ensuring the respect and fulfilment of all human rights. Additionally Civil Society could empower
communities to demand for involvement in health program implementation, planning and monitoring.
This calls for venturing into budget related advocacy at both local and national level, so as to prepare for
the FY 2016/2017. This has to be a concerted effort of civil society, and not by just a few members.
There is also a need for capacity building within civil society as regards to budget advocacy so as to
create a concerted, timely, and effective movement. If not, we will continue to bandage up the wounds,
without removing the log that we keep stumbling over.
It is now time for civil society to wear the hat of the genius as Einstein proposes, and find more
permanent ways of preventing recurring human rights abuses. If we continue to do things the same way,
we will continue to yield the same results. Now is the time to step away from the traditional forms of
advocacy and embrace a transformational tool-budget advocacy, by all civil society members.

3. By;
Kisakye Juliana
Centre for Heallth Human Rights and Developemnt-CEHURD (Intern 2015)