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Posted on Categories News 78 Comments on Making the Public Health Link: My Experience at the Institute Of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium

Making the Public Health Link: My Experience at the Institute Of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium

By Juliana Nantaba:
The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium (ITM) is one of the leading institutes for training, research and assistance in tropical medicine and health care in developing countries. Through my work as a project officer on CEHURD’s GO4HEALTH research project collaborated by ITM, I was informed about the 7 week specialization short course on Health Policy for health professionals and researchers involved in health systems.

After undertaking this short course, it is a hard task to write about the experience in only age, so I will only give you a glimpse. The course kicked off in March 2014 with a class of about 20 participants with various backgrounds including political science, psychology and sociology, economics and medicine.

Even though I was the only lawyer among the participants, their diverse backgrounds and work experience from different low and middle income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin coupled with that of faculty professors gave me a memorable, productive and invaluable understanding on various public health issues.
Through out the course period, we progressively navigated through different health policy issues in public health. These were covered under three modules titled; 1) health policy analysis, 2) right to health and 3) Health System Reform.

These were covered through lectures, group work, and use of case studies and innovative methods like “fish bowls” with the support of resource persons. Within each module we analyzed various aspects in health systems, their challenges and also drew examples from various country contexts on strategies to address the problems as well as possible solutions.

Interestingly and also very relevant for me, was the fact that all the discussions were also done in-light of current global health and global issues like the move towards Universal Health Coverage, realizing the right to health, access to medicines issues, post 2015 MDGs Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and roles of various stake holders.

As such, the course did not only tackle issues theoretically but gave me an opportunity to apply available theories to practical situations and health system challenges from all over the world and most importantly to my research as a lawyer working in the public health environment in Uganda. Another valuable element of this course entailed attending various seminars and public defenses for PhD students.

At this point you are wondering, “was it all work and no play?” of course not! The ITM student service organized various activities to enable the students visit various places including the city of Antwerp, Brugge, Amsterdam and my personal adventure with friends to Gent and Paris.

Special thanks to the various GO4HEALTH partners especially in work package 2 for your effort and interest in building capacity of young researchers who are part of the project, to the office of the Director  General for Development cooperation, Belgium for the study scholarship and to the CEHURD staff for their support through out the course.

After my ITM experience, I feel very energized, equipped and ready to take on health system research and advocacy and contribute to litigation for realizing the right to health in Uganda. All this I am ready as a lawyer with a perspective appreciates various public health issues.

Posted on Categories News 67 Comments on Unpacking prospects and challenges of litigating the right to health in Uganda

Unpacking prospects and challenges of litigating the right to health in Uganda

By Nakibuuka Noor Musisi
Since time in memorial, maternal Mortality has continued to be a daunting concern in the health sector of Uganda. Today, the country faces over 438 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (UDHS 2011). This statistics has been rounded off to 16 women loosing life on a daily basis, and indeed this can be summarized into one mini bus crashing every day. This number is way high and with the 500 days left to end of Millennium development goals, Uganda is most likely not going to achieve MDG 5.

Regardless of all efforts that have been made to ensure that such rates are curbed, there has been one missing link, which is the use of the judiciary. It was not until 2011 that Uganda saw a move towards litigating the right to health. This came with CEHURD’s intervention of filing a case against the government for non provision of basic maternal health commodities in public health facilities leading to death of expectant mothers.

The filing of the case has since seen a number of civil society organizations working in the area of health come together under the umbrella of coalition to stop maternal mortality to advocate for the right. For the first time in Uganda, a communication platform was formed. Today, the coalition has over 60 organizations ranging from different walks of life including health, human rights, women’s organizations, HIV/AIDS and community-based organizations and it fights to end the crisis of preventable maternal mortality in Uganda through policy, advocacy and grassroots mobilization. It has been very instrumental in not only supporting the case but also ensuring that the right is realized.

The formation of the coalition has always seen a big turn at each court hearing. Despite the court’s ruling that they do not have the mandate to hear and determine the case (political question doctrine), the spirit of the organizations and communities in turning up to court has not dwindled. This is evident enough to show the sanguinity communities still hold in courts.

A lot of advocacy has evolved both at the national and community levels. This resulted into filing of yet another case, Civil suit No. 111 of 2012, CEHURD Vs. Nakaseke District local government seeking for declarations on violation of the right to health, rights of the child, family and freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

The case relates to the death of Nanteza Irene, a mother that stayed in the health facility for hours without according her a caesarean operation until she died. The filing of the case has seen vibrant changes in provision of services at the health centre.

Increased media coverage, increment in health budget, passing of a resolution by the Honorable members of parliament on maternal health, formation of a legal advisory experts group, among others has been some of the achievements prompted with litigating the right to health.

Other cases that have been filed out of the outreaches and advocacy include civil suit No. 212 of 2013, a case of the lost baby at Mulago national referral hospital and access to patient information, civil suit No. 172 of 2014 a case on right to health and right to a clean and healthy environment, Complaint lodged against Dr. Bingi Christopher for his un ethical behavior towards an expectant mother, and complaint lodged with Uganda Human rights Commission for Violating right to health as a result of UMEME’s load shedding of public health facilities.

The prospects have not gone without challenges. Delayed court response when cases are filed is one challenge that has and is still delaying the realization of the right to health. The Attorney General and other defendants also play a role in delaying justice. One can actually conclude that they many times do not take the cases seriously.

This is not to mention the challenges met with media sensitization and ensuring that they understand the argot on justiciability of right to health. Communities expect a lot from us yet helping them understand the importance of asking and keeping information as well as appearing as witnesses in court is a problem.

Therefore despite the many prospects associated with litigating right to health, especially in ensuring that provisions of the constitution like article 45 and 8A are tested where there is no express provisions on rights like health in the Constitution,  litigation has been faced with many challenges.

The delays and continued adjournments of cases due to a number of factors have contributed to low progress in realizing the right to health. The voice added by the court of public opinion has however been important in ensuring that these challenges are surmount. The coalition to stop maternal mortality, legal expert’s advisory group among other stakeholders is thus applauded for its continued efforts, advocacy, and time towards realizing the right to health

Posted on Categories News 230 Comments on Mukono residents want quarry company closed

Mukono residents want quarry company closed

By Anthony Wesaka

Residents of BA group of Mukono residents has sued a stone quarrying firm – China Communications Construction Company for allegedly violating and depriving them of their rights to a “clean” and “health” environment.

The residents from the villages of Bumutakkude and Kiryamuli, are represented by a civil society group, Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD).

Also sued are, National Environment Management Authority and the Mukono District Local Government.

Nema and Mukono District Local Government have been sued for alleged failure to protect the environment.
In the complaint filed yesterday, residents claim that in 2012, the firm was licensed by Nema to commence stone quarrying in their villages.

The quarry blasts rocks and grades land, which processes, resident say puts them in harm’s way since they emit dust into space
Through their lawyers, Kabanda and Co Advocates, residents want a declaratory judgment that omits the acts of the firm.
They also want court to issue an injunction restraining the firm from carrying out any activities alienating in any way the natural water stream serving the two villages.

Court is yet to summon any of the defendants.
The suit further read: “The third defendant (Chinese firm) has started grading the landscape surrounding the natural water stream which has led to the contamination of the natural stream with mud and rendered the stream inaccessible especially during rainy season.”

Residents also say as a result of stone quarrying, they are suffering health complications resulting from inhaling dust and drinking the contaminated water.

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Mukono-residents-want-quarry-company-closed/-/688334/2334940/-/4d0pkoz/-/index.html

Posted on Categories News 106 Comments on Prevalence of risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases among University Students in and around Kampala

Prevalence of risk factors for Non-Communicable Diseases among University Students in and around Kampala

It is evident that Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are rapidly becoming a major cause of preventable and premature death and illness in Uganda. According to the study, the four NCD-related diseases share common risk factors that include tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and harmful use of alcohol, as well as high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Today Shisha is the most commonly used tobacco product among youths other than cigarettes and it is more prevalent among females than males. This therefore calls for universities and other tertiary institutions to set up effective mechanisms to help students wishing to stop smoking to do so, and also to expand smoke-free environments. READ FULL STUDY REPORT

Posted on Categories News 137 Comments on Press Statement of the Tobacco Control Forum on World No Tobacco Day 2014

Press Statement of the Tobacco Control Forum on World No Tobacco Day 2014

Uganda ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) in 2007. The Convention was negotiated as a Global Intervention to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, environmental and socio-economic effects of tobacco. As a party to this convention Uganda was expected to have domesticated the treaty including enacting a comprehensive law by 2012. READ FULL STATEMENT

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