Shortage of Medicines crippled Uganda's Health system.

Submitted by sharifah about 1 year ago

In Uganda the burden of TB is still high, at national level a totalof Eighty thousand new cases are expected to be registered annually and this was evidenced when there was a chronic shortage of TB, HIV, and Malaria drugs.

Most affected areas were Northern in Gulu and Eastern in Soroti refferal hospitals.This caused patients to confuse treatment which led to drug resistance, Dr. Paul Onek the District Health Officer in Gulu said recently. In Gulu, the number of TB cases rose from one thousand three hundred and sixty nine(1,369) in 2007 to one thousand nine hundred and thirty six (1,936) in 2008 bringing the number of TB patients in Gulu alone to over three thousand(3000).

Dr. Benard Odur head of Soroti refferal hospital also noted that, more than two thousand (2000) TB patients had begun a six month treatment regimen and about one thousand and three hundred (1,300) HIV -positive people had recieved a monthly supply of antiretrovirals by the time of stockouts. But some TB patients took expired medications and some HIV positive who had malaria had to purchase drugs from private clinics.

A consortium of five Uganda Health Civil Society Organisation cameup with a common idea and launched a national wide campaign code named STOP STOCK OUTS which is still working up to todate. These organisations included; Action for Development (ACFODE), Action Group for Health Human Rights and HIV/AIDS (AGHA), Alliance for Intergrated Development and Empowerment (AIDE), Coalition for Health Promption and Social Development (HEPS- UGANDA), and National Forum of people Living with HIV/AIDS Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU).

According to quarterly medicine surveys done by the partners, 50% of Government health centres never had medicines to treat common illness like; Malaria, Pneumonia, Diarrhoea, among others. If Government does not do something quickly then TB drug resistance might go higher forcing the country to spend even more by buying the alternative second line treatment which costs thousands of dollars.

"It is inexcusable that Ugandans who depend on health institutions continue to die , suffer pain and trauma for lack of essential medicines, to treat common healthconditions." says Rosette Mutambi Director HEPS-UGANDA.

" Access to free essential Medicines in Government health centres determines whether people live or die. It seems in uganda people are being left to die." says Denis Kibira stock outs campaign coordinator.

"Approximately 10 million ugandans who live on less than a dollar a day rely on the Government health system for their treatment needs but are at risk of death due to chronic shortage of medicines." says Rosette Director of HEPS- UGANDA.

"Adquate funding for essential medicines is critical for guaranteering�the right to health. By signing the international covenant on Economic, social and cultural rights, Uganda committed herself to making basic health care services including the provision of essential drugs available to the population. Stock outs demonstrate a failure to fulfill a legal obligation for which the Government must be held accountable." says Sandra Kiapi Executive Director - AGHA UGANDA.

The shortage of medicines are often the largest health -related expense for poor familiesand this became worse with medicines being out out of stock in Government hospitals, because families must turn to the private sector where prices are high. This burden becomes even more difficult to manage in times of increased prices for food and other commodities.

These organisations wanted the Government to ensure availability of essential medicines at all public health institutions.

Ensure sufficient funding for the medicines within minimum health care package and give representation of civil society on the board of the National Medical Stores.

The Government in reply said, the shortage of TB drugs was because of a disbursement delay for a grant from the Global Fund to fight Aids, TB, and Malaria, says Richard Ndyomugyenyi, the Minister of Health Malaria Control Manager.

The shortage, which persisted for months, reached the alarming levels of forcing the Ministry of Health to purchase drugs from Kenya to alleviate the situation until the country's drug supply increases. In addition a local drug  manufacturing plant recently opened to increase the supply of Antiretrovirals.

 

Keywords: Civil Society Organizations diarrhoea funding Gulu HIV Malaria nafophanu northern Uganda pneumonia SHORTAGE OF DRUGS Stock out TB Uganda

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