Use of health services increases

By Martin Kiiza THE utilisation of health sector services has gone up by at least 50% following the scrapping of cost- sharing in the health sector, the Minister of Health, Brig. Jim Muhwezi, has said.“It is important to note that this increase in health care consumption is greatest amongst the poor, which totally justifies the government’s decision to abolish cost- sharing,” Muhwezi said.He was officiating at the opening of the fourth Regional Conference of the Community Based Health Financing Association for East, Central and Southern Africa (CBHFA-ESCA) at the Ranch on the lake Hotel in Wakiso district, on Monday.He told the delegates that there is a need for better financing mechanisms than the traditional cost-sharing.“We are hoping that community based financing will be helpful,” he said, adding that the system is more attractive because households make smaller, regular contributions which are more affordable.He challenged the participants to strive for community based quality services for all members of society. “If we can do this, then we can increase the consumption of health services and reduce the burden of disease felt by our people,” Muhwezi said.The conference drew participants from Seychelles, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Uganda, among others.