By Rebecca Carr

This Summer I undertook an internship at the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development, Uganda (CEHURD) as part of the University of Toronto’s International Human Rights Internship Program. Although placed within CEHURD’s strategic litigation team, I was also able to see how the organisations work interacted with its other: community empowerment, HRDA (Human Rights Documentation and Advocacy), and communications teams. The complementary way in which its teams work together is, I think, what makes CEHURD unique, and is what appeared to make its right-to-health- enhancing strategies, highly effective.

On my first day, for instance, I went to the High Court to help report on a case that CEHURD is undertaking on behalf of communities living in Kiryamuli and Bamtakudde. The case concerned the destruction of the communities’ natural environment and water source, contrary to their rights to health and to a healthy environment, among others. The damage – it is alleged – was caused by the defendant’s commercial quarrying activities. The journey to court was not, much to my surprise, spent rehearsing legal arguments, but by a number of CEHURDs lawyers contacting media outlets about the case. Social rights sensitization, particularly through the media is, after all, critical to the rights broad and continued acceptance.  Throughout the course of the internship, it became apparent that this acceptance was necessary not only within local communities, but within Uganda’s legal circles and policy arenas also, and was something that CEHURD was also keenly aware of.

During the summer, for instance, the strategic litigation team organised a Magistrates Forum to bring Magistrates, Academics, CEHURD staff and the media together to discuss human rights questions within the context of the criminal law. How, for example, might socioeconomic human rights protections be respected within Uganda’s somewhat rigid, criminal law provisions? And to what extent are women’s reproductive health rights recognised within the confines of the country’s current Penal code? The day provided a much-needed space for critical dialogue and debate, and illustrated the importance of engaging the judiciary in rights-litigation matters, beyond the courtroom itself.

On the policy front, I saw how CEHURD connects its impressive grassroots research from the many communities it works with, to the policy-level advocacy it undertakes. I was able to attend, for instance, meetings regarding – what is likely to become – the country’s sexual and reproductive health guidelines that CEHURD played a major role in creating.

My time at CEHURD was varied and exciting. Almost every day new issues regarding Ugandan’s rights to health would arise and that I thoroughly enjoyed being able to assist with. What I’ve taken away the most is CEHURDs creative approach to tackling right to health issues, complex issues of a fundamental concern to the Ugandan people.

I thank all the staff at CEHURD, whose passion, commitment and kindness enabled me to have such a wonderful internship and time in Uganda.

Today 27th September 2014, the Centre for health Human Rights and development (CEHURD) has joined other civil society organisations working in health to attend a Regional Meeting on Health Committees; Regional consultation for East and Southern Africa which is aimed at sharing experiences and identifying good practices with respect to health committees in the region and to establish stronger networking around health committees. The meeting also intended to identify the role of Health committees in Equitable, People Cantered Health Systems in the South and East African Region.

The meeting which was organised by the Learning Network and held at the University of Cape Town in South Africa has been attended by members from Guatemala, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, United States of America, India, Ethiopia, Malawi and Tunisia.

This meeting follows another regional meeting which was held in Uganda in 2013 under the theme, Health System Governance and community participation in Health whose objective was to share experiences of different models of community participation in health by identifying strengths, and weaknesses in the region.

Among the presenters during this regional meeting included the Chief Executive Director of CEHURD Mr. Mulumba Moses, the Director of Health and Human Rights at the school of public health at the University of Cape town, Professor London Leslie, Walter Flores form Centre for the study of Equity and Governance in Health Systems in Guatemala, Edgar Tatenda from the Community working Group in Zimbabwe and Veronica Masanja from Kiboga (Nyamiringa Health Centre III) in Central Uganda.

Among the issues discussed during the meeting include but not limited to the role of health management committees in democratic governance, experiences of the operation health committees in the region focusing on Uganda, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

In order to accomplish the objective of sharing experiences and identifying good practices with respect to health committees, participants in the meeting where requested to share their experiences on what has worked, what has not worked and, what lessons learnt in regards the operation of health committees in  different countries.