Amref earmarks sh17b for health support in Uganda

By Innocent Anguyo

 Amref Health Africa, a leading international African-based non-governmental organization has raised $100m (about sh250b) to inject into healthcare in eleven African countries including Uganda.
 
 The organization has rebranded to Amref Health Africa from AMREF (African Medical and Research Foundation). The rebranding, Amref said is to align its name to the nature and scope of its work “that has grown beyond research and provision of basic services.”  
 
Amref Uganda Director ,Abenet Leykun Berhanu, said of the $100m, $7m (about sh17b) will be spent on strengthening of health systems and interventions in maternal and child health, HIV, water and sanitation, TB, malaria, and clinical and diagnosis services.
 
Leykun was during the launch of the new brand of Amref at the organisation’s offices in Kampala.
 
Generally, “the $17b will go into addressing the national health priorities of Uganda, especially areas where government is constrained such as maternal and child health.” Most of the money will go into sustaining the existing projects of Amref Uganda.
 
Nevertheless, over 30% (about sh5b) of the money, Amref Uganda spokesman Denis Kayiwa said will go into a five-year peri-urban and urban sanitation project in Kawempe division and districts of Gulu, Kitgum and Pader.
 
Under this project funded by the European Union (EU), Leykun said boreholes, drainages, garbage holes, toilets, water harvesters among others will be constructed in the above areas. Health education is another element of the project.
 
The project whose proposal was jointly written by Amref and government is aimed at reducing the prevalence of water, hygiene and sanitation related diseases.
 
In a phone interview with New Vision, Peter Kaujju, the spokesperson of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) commended Amref for its interventions aimed at improving the sanitation of the city.
 
Under a similar project, last year Amref drilled 40 boreholes in Soroti district. In 2009, Ojom Community Primary School in Katine sub county, Soroti, also received a classroom block from Amref.
 
Amref has since had a number of interventions at the school, including construction of a classroom block, improved pit latrines and teaching children to make tippy-taps.
 
In a bid to improve maternal health in Africa, Amref is set use part of the money to train 15,000 midwives in the eleven countries, including Uganda. Child and maternal health, Amref says will equally consume another huge chunk of money but could not specify the amount.