The parliamentary Health committee has expressed concerns over the diminishing support from the partners in areas such as immunisation, HIV/AIDS ,TB, Malaria control and infrastructure development.
The committee emphasised the increase in innovative domestic financing mechanism to address the shrinking and changing priorities affecting the Uganda health sector.
The committee suggests that the government should explore innovative domestic financing mechanism to generate additional revenue for the health sector.
Presenting the committee report on the 2024/25 ministerial policy statement for the health sector to parliament, Dr Charles Ayume ,chairperson of the health committee also the Koboko MP urged the government to increase taxes on social media , alcohol and tobacco up to 20 per cent to allocate it to the sector(Health) in order to reduce on the foreign aid from the donors.
This will be used to upgrade health centres and support community health financing as the existing community health strategy lacks adequate funding.
Mps also advocated for additional allocation of sh.262.79 billions to the National Medical Stores [NMS] to increase in the supply of medicines and health supplies starting in Financial year 2024/25 hence aiming to fill the fund gap.
By December 2023, 10 million doses of Johnson vaccines had expired and there is need for funds to be allocated to the NMS said Ayume to the parliament.
He also informed the parliament that there is under funding of the health sector because most of the projects in the health sector they are funded by the external support and this is causing an alarming reduction in the projects like anti-malaria, TB and other health infrastructures.
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