Uganda has made tremendous efforts to improve the delivery of health care services to its citizens. Over time we have had numerical increase in health sector financing, had a number of laws and policies passed or amended and improvement in a number of health performance indicators, among others.
Indeed, Uganda has made commitments in global and regional treaties and declarations as well as in national policies and laws aimed at promoting the health and wellbeing of all Ugandans (SDG 3) in an effort to realise the Right to Health.
However, the sector continues to face persistent challenges which threaten the country’s realization of SDGs by 2030. Systemic and structural challenges within the health system coupled with the weak or lack of safety nets for the most vulnerable continue to exist.
The high maternal mortality rate, high HIV prevalence and sexually transmitted infections, increasing cases of teenage pregnancies with related vulnerabilities such as unsafe abortions and gender-based violence continue to be of concern.
These challenges call for sustained collective action across all sectors – health, education, gender, finance, academia, researchers and the legal sector, among others. Good health and wellbeing cannot be realized without paying attention to other SDGs such as quality education (SDG4), gender equality (SDG 5), climate action (SDG13) and others.
Many of these constitute the social determinants of health. Although the multi-sectoral approach is strongly rooted in Uganda’s national development goals including Vision 2040, practical application of the approach is yet to be fully effective. Moreover, SDG 17 calls for partnerships in realizing all SDGs.
In an effort to address the above challenges through a multi-sectoral approach, the Center for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) and the Ministry of Health will host the Uganda National Conference on Health, Human Rights and Development (UCHD 2023).
The conference will bring together key stakeholders to reflect on and facilitate an understanding of the trends and progress being made on the Right to health in Uganda in an effort to realize SDGs and accelerate further action.
The conference scheduled for 26th-29th September 2023. The conference will focus on the country’s advancement on realizing the right to health within the context of sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The right to health is a fundamental part of our human rights and human dignity. It is a development issue, which is incorporated in international and regional human rights treaties and in national laws, policies and strategies.
CEHURD and the Ministry of Health have a shared vision of realizing good health and wellbeing for all people in Uganda. We both work to ensure that all Ugandans have access to the health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardships.
This is in alignment with Uganda’s Vision 2040; National Development Plan III – Human Capital Development Program (HCDP); the Ministry of Health Strategic Plan 2020 – 2025 and the Third National Health Policy which is the country’s commitment towards realizing Universal Health Coverage.
As part of the conference, a fundraising dinner will be held on the evening of 28th September 2023 in support of legal aid and other support services for children who have experienced sexual violence in Uganda.
In 2022, 12,715 children below 18 years were defiled according to the Police Crime Report for the year.
The bulk of legal aid cases handled by CEHURD are cases of defilement and these come with serious legal and psychosocial challenges for the children and their families. Many are still far from accessing justice.
