Agness Nandutu
14 March 2008
Kampala — MEMBERS of Parliament have demanded that the government increases health budget allocation to cater for the reproductive health in the country.
The Parliamentary Forum for Food Security, Population and Development chaired by Dr Chris Baryomunsi (Kinkizi East, NRM) yesterday resolved to engage the Ministry of Finance to increase the Health budget up to 15 per cent of the national budget next financial year.
The MPs resolved this yesterday during a consultative meeting with the German Foundation for World Population (DSW) in Kampala.
Dr Baryomunsi said the government ought to realise that reproductive health is a positive contribution to poverty eradication.
"Funding of the health sector has never been a priority for this government and we are not happy. This time we want to engage them to ensure that the sexual and reproductive health of Ugandans is catered for," he said. "Before the government brings its budgetary estimate to Parliament, we should meet them and put them to task on issues of reproductive health."
He said many girls are getting unwanted pregnancies and have died while attempting to abort because they have no knowledge of prevention.
The MPs resolved to meet the ministries of Finance and Health on April 3 to discuss funding of sexual and reproductive health.
Mr Baryomunsi noted that the health budget has over the years decreased from nine per cent to 8.2 per cent last financial year.
The MP would also meet the donors and engage the European Parliament to advocate more funding in the health sector especially the sexual and reproductive health.
Ms Sylivia Ssinabulya (Woman Mityana, NRM) said Parliament should use its power to make the executive give more money to the health sector.
She said new cases of HIV/Aids infections are rampant among the youth because they don't have information.
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