Opendi raised concern about the alarming rate at which mothers are dying for causes that can be easily detected and treated. "We have seen a lot of funds that have been put aside to fight death caused by COVID-19, in a similar way we want to request the government to put money in ending these maternal deaths,” said Opendi.
Uganda Women Parliamentary Association (UWOPA) has asked the government to realign its priorities and find
money to boost the budget of the
health sector in order to effectively
fight maternal mortality, which
they said is rampant.
Led by their Chairperson, Sarah
Opendi, the legislators told
journalists during a media briefing
on Tuesday that the proposed health
sector budget for the next
financial year 2022/2023 is deficient despite the increasing reports of
maternal deaths, inadequate medicines, and supplies in health facilities.
Opendi raised concern about the alarming rate at
which mothers are dying for causes that can be easily detected and treated. "We have seen a lot of funds that have
been put aside to fight death caused by COVID-19, in a similar way we want to request the government to put money in ending these maternal deaths,” said Opendi.
The Tororo Woman MP requested the government to avail adequate resources to
address the gaps in
maternal health provision.
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Under the Budget Framework Paper for the next
financial year 2022/2023, the
government proposes to allocate
the health sector Shillings 2.2 trillion.
Recently, Health Minister Dr. Jane
Ruth Aceng tabled a complaint before the
Budget Committee of parliament
regarding several cuts in the health
sector budget, which
she said will undermine service delivery.
Hope Nakazibwe, the Mubende Woman MP, said that the
mortality deaths in the country are preventable but it is surprising that the health budget has been reduced, something
that further complicates access to
medical services.
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The MPs cited the Uganda Bureau of Statistics
report 2021, which puts maternal deaths at 338 per 10,000 live births. “This is on a higher side, why should we
experience it? We need to wake up and handle it. We have another
situation, teenage pregnancy now contributes 17 percent of maternal
mortality," said Henry Kibalya, the Bugabula South MP.
Kibalya added that UWOPA needs to see President
Yoweri Museveni and his cabinet come out strong against maternal death as they
did in the fight against COVID-19.
He said that the health sector needs a special budget for maternal services.
Opendi also criticized the corruption tendencies
in health facilities where pregnant mothers are asked to pay money before they
are attended to. She said that some health workers ask for money ranging from between Shillings 300,000 and1 million.
