HEALTH | MOH | PALLIATIVE CARE | FUNDING

Palliative care advocates have urged the government to increase the amount of money donated to the health sector. This then will enable the health ministry to allocate part of the available money to palliative care services.

“Most of the people who need palliative care services are so vulnerable, they cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket because they have been impoverished by illness and the money they spent on out-of-pocket expenses,” notes Dr. Emmanuel Luyirika, executive director of the African Palliative Care Association

Dr. Luyirika urged the government to invest in the component of palliative care, knowing that the people who need it are more vulnerable than anybody else.

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness, such as cancer or heart failure.

Donald Mwesiga the Country Director Pcau chatting with Moses Muwonge. (Photo by Agnes Kyotalengerire)

Patients in palliative care may receive medical care for their symptoms, or palliative care, along with treatment intended to cure their serious illness

Yet, the hospices and health facilities providing care are struggling and depend mainly on donors and the private sector for funding.

Dr. Doreen Agasha Birungi, who is the executive director of Hospice Africa Uganda, noted that they used to receive a grant from the government to facilitate palliative care work but it was stopped.

The country director Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU), Mark Donald Mwesiga noted that an increase in funding will support health workers to train in palliative care, consequently provide the services and grow the specialty.

“Palliative care education is important and the need for training should be strengthened with the government offering scholarships for tutors to come and train, to teach palliative care courses that are examinable,” Mwesiga notes

Mark Donald Mwesiga the Country Director Pcau chatting with Moses Muwonge.(Photo by Agnes Kyotalengerire)

Additionally, the funding will facilitate the integration of trained personnel into the public service structure. This will enable them to receive support from the government on a specific line of service structure. 

African countries committed to the Abuja declaration to contribute 15% of their budgets to health. Countries such as Swaziland, Rwanda, and Eswatini have already hit the 15% target allocation of funds for health care as they agreed in the Abuja declaration.

Today, Uganda contributes only about 6% of the budget to health, which is less than half of the commitment it made, notes Dr. Emmanuel Luyirika, the executive director of the African Palliative Care Association.

 “It is critical that we push for increased funding for health, and then we can hold the Ministry of Health accountable for not delivering on the services,” Dr. Luyirika noted.

The revelations were made in a recent meeting between the palliative care association of Uganda with the new parliamentary committee on health at Fairway Hotel in Kampala.

Mwesiga notes that to improve health care services in the country, we must dedicate more money to the health sector so that we can invest more in palliative care.

“Once the health care system is funded, it will ensure people access free medical care which will lessen the amount of out-of-pocket expenditure. As such people will not be pushed into poverty,” he noted,

Ministry of Health official speaks 

The commissioner of clinical services at the Health Ministry, Dr. Jackson Amone noted that delivery of palliative care services cannot be done until there is enough funding.

Dr. Amone noted that funds can only be availed if the palliative care policy stipulates the kind of strategy we should be having. The strategy can be used to mobilize funds from either government or partners who can support palliative care services.

Forward

The meeting agreed that the ministry of health should expedite the process of setting up a palliative care policy.