Access to essential medicines is one of the key requirements for achieving equitable health systems and better health for the population. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) noted that over the past 25 years developing countries have made significant strides to ensure greater access to medicines. The number of people with regular access to essential medicines increased from two to four billion between 1997 and 2002. However, nearly two billion of the world’s population, many of whom live in least-developed countries (LDC), lack regular access to essential medicines (UNCTAD, 2011). Find Full DOCUMENT
A Media Training and Mentoring Programme to report on Sexual, Reproductive Health and Human Rights issues in Uganda.
CEHURD (Center for Health, Human Rights and Development) invites journalists to apply for a media training and mentoring programme to report on sexual, reproductive health and human rights issues in Uganda. The program is aimed at mentoring and building capacity for Ugandan journalists to report on issues concerning Sexual, reproductive health and human rights.
According to the Preliminary Uganda Demographic Health Survey 2011, the maternal mortality ratio in Uganda stands at 438 for every 100,000 live births. Indeed, the Millennium development Goals Report issued by the Ministry of finance indicated that 16 women die of preventable maternal health causes in Uganda on a daily basis and 4-5 of these are due to unsafe abortion. This makes up for up-to 6,000 mothers every year! This is a situation unacceptable because these deaths are preventable and are an abuse of human rights.
Against this background, the Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) within the Coalition to stop maternal mortality due to unsafe abortion (CSMMUA) will embark on training holding the media from Thursday 1st August to Saturday 3rd August 2013. Find full application
Civil Society Petitions EU Delegation Over LDC TRIPS Extension
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
23rd May, 2013
Uganda, Kampala – Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working on issues of trade, intellectual property, access to medicines, food & Seed in Uganda have issued a letter to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Council Chair as well as Developed country Missions in Uganda to express their disapproval of the manner in which the negotiations for the request to extend the time within which Least Developed Countries (LDCs) can enforce Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS).
On November 2012, Haiti (the then chair of LDCs at the TRIPS Council) submitted a request on behalf of all LDCs to the WTO TRIPS Council for an extension of the LDC transition period until a Member ceases to be a LDC. This request has received overwhelming support from developed countries like Norway, academics from around the world, 5 representatives of the US Senate, and civil society groups from developed, developing and least developed countries..
It is infuriating to note, however, that over the past few months, the WTO has been chairing informal meetings between developed countries and least developed countries where LDCs have been pressed to agree to a shorter term of 5 – 7.5 years and the inclusion of a provision to not roll back their current intellectual property laws without admitting groups that support them to the meetings.
The Director of the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development, Mulumba Moses, has expressed dissatisfaction at these developments, “This is unacceptable as the TRIPS Agreement states that upon a duly motivated request, the TRIPS council shall grant an extension. LDCs to which Uganda is categorised are justified in seeking an unlimited extension for so long as they are so classified because the suggested 5-7 years will not give us adequate time to overcome capacity constraints to develop a viable and competitive technological base.”
It should also be noted that almost 90% of drugs in Uganda are imported, the majority of which are generic versions from India. India, like Uganda, is a party to the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). As per requirements under TRIPS, India grants product patents for drugs and pharmaceuticals while Uganda does not. This has impacted the accessibility and affordability of cheap lifesaving drugs as Uganda does not have the capacity to provide drugs for its entire population.
Mr, Joshua Wamboga from The Aids Support Organisation (TASO) notes, “The ability to access cheap medicines on the market will be curtailed and the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda may be lost if expansive trade laws are adopted without improving the incomes of Ugandans.”.
The next TRIPS Council meeting will be held on 10-11 June, 2013 but United States, European Union, and Australia are currently in informal meetings aggressively trying to pressure LDCs to keep in place the “no roll-back” provision that prevents LDCs from changing their existing laws, even if they were adopted from the colonial era or new laws that have proven bad for development.
Civil suit No.111 0f 2012 proceedings begin today in the High Court
By Lipi Mishra and Serunjogi Francis
Today the High court of Uganda began proceedings on the maternal health case filed by the Centre for Health Human Rights and Development & Others against Nakaseke District Local Government (Civil suit No.111 of 2012).
The first day of proceedings was widely attended to by members of the public, the Coalition to Stop Maternal Mortality in Uganda, and the media.
Actions for this case were filed on April 12th 2012 by CEHURD after Nanteza Irene died In Nakaseke Hospital while in labour. The plaintiffs assert that Nanteza Irene was not given medical attention for almost 10 hours.
This case triggers a number of Constitutional issues, all of which are being used to claim that the events leading Nanteza Irene’s death violated her (and her children’s’) rights to life, health, freedom from inhumane and degrading treatment, and equality.
The case was presided over by His Lordship Justice Benjamin Kabiito and two witnesses from the plaintiff’s side were interviewed. Nanteza Irene’s three surviving children were also in attendance.
CEHURD is actively involved in a number of other activities as it awaits the judgment in this case including advocating for a better health budget for financial year 2013/14 and ensuring that health workers are recruited, motivated and remunerated.
The trial has been adjourned until 31st May 2013 and it will proceed with testimonies from the remaining witnesses.
Pregnant woman loses baby after being denied ambulance
By Felix Warom Okello & Clement Aluma
An expectant mother lost her child at the weekend after she was transported on a lorry carrying goats and goods following the alleged refusal of Olujobo Health Centre III workers to grant her an ambulance. Ms Florence Candiru, who had been admitted to Olujobo Health Centre III, was reportedly referred to Arua Regional Referral Hospital by health workers at the facility.
However, when she sought the services of the health centre’s ambulance, she was allegedly told that the ambulance would be transporting health workers for training at Rhino Camp Sub-county.
Her relatives were forced to hire a lorry that was passing-by the health centre to take her to Arua Regional Referral Hospital. Speaking to the Daily Monitor at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, Ms Candiru, 35, said: “After we were told that there is no ambulance, I saw death coming either to me or my child. But unfortunately the child died. All I wanted was to reach the hospital and deliver,” she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Her brother, Mr Francis Korubuga, who was by her side, said: “As the pain continued at Olujobo Health Centre III, the relatives went by the roadside to look for any vehicle passing by. We then landed on a truck that carried goats, charcoal, firewood and sacks of cassava.
Then we had to pay Shs130,000 to hire the truck to carry her to Arua Regional Referral Hospital.” When contacted for comment, the District Health Officer, Dr Patrick Anguzu, said he would investigate the matter and those found culpable would be prosecuted. “Our priority is first to save lives of patients,” Dr Anguzu said. However, efforts to speak to the officer in-charge of Olujobo Health Centre III, Mr Rophin Anguzu, were futile as he could not be reached on phone by press time.
The health sector in Uganda is facing a host of problems such as under funding, shortage of drugs, health workers, ambulances and equipment.
Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Pregnant-woman-loses-baby-after-being-/-/688334/1853740/-/a5n7u0/-/index.html