While appearing before the health committee chaired by Bukuya county Mp Dr.Micheal Bukenya to explain why they have failed to resolve the Doctors problems related to poor payment, Aceng said that the payment disparities to public servants is  making it difficult for the ministry of health to convince doctors to return to their work.

She said that the doctors think that government has money and is not willing to pay since other officers are highly paid citing the 13 billion shillings paid to MPS for consultation on age limit.

Aceng said that the doctor’s strike has not affected all health facilities, saying some are still functional and the ministry is continuing to push for negotiations to stop this strike which is affecting the health service delivery.

The chairperson of the health committee of parliament Dr.Mcheal Bukenya appealed to Doctors to return to their respective health centers as the salary review committee established by the president completes its report to be ready in two weeks’ time.

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Officiating at the launch of the two guidelines in Kampala today, the health minister reminds the health practitioners that these guidelines are fully and clearly prescribing the basic treatment a health worker should use while proving health care to a patient which adds on to their already acquired knowledge from medical school and cautions them not to shelve the guidelines.

Dr. Ruth Aceng

The assistant commission pharmacy in the health ministry, Dr.Seru Morris adds that the two guidelines are having new disease guides which were not included in the old edition among them being, TB, Diabetes, Sickle cells, Monopoles, prostate, nutrition, nodding disease among other non communicable diseases and their respective treatment guidelines and at which health center levels.

But the end users of these guidelines at the respective health facilities now recommend that govt ensures that the information in the guidelines is well disseminated to health workers and officers across the country for effective use if health service provision is to improve,explains Ivan Kamya. 

The two guidelines which are to be distributed to govt and private health facilities, training schools, respective health practitioners associations are geared towards promoting high quality health care by guiding health medicine supplies, equipment supplies as used for treatment.

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Health Minister Ruth Aceng

The Uganda population HIV impact assessment survey 2016 released  last week reveals that the current HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 to 49 in the country is at 6%, among children under 5 years stands at 0.5% while among those aged between 5 to 14 years still stands at 0.5% with the total number of Ugandans both adults and children living with HIV/AIDS standing at 1.3 million.

The survey that was carried out from August 2016 to March 2017 shows that HIV prevalence among women is at 7.5% compared to 4.3% among men with the prevalence recorded higher among urban populations at 7.1% compared to rural populations at 5.5%.

However, Mid-eastern Uganda recorded the lowest prevalence of the disease and central 1which covers greater Masaka recording the highest at 7.6% but south western Uganda is having the highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS.

According to the health minister, Ruth Aceng and other experts attribute the high numbers among adolescents to poor compliance and vulnerability among females

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Betty Nambooze the Mukono Municipality MP.

The implementation of the Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2016 hangs in balance again following claims by the Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Nambooze Bakirekke, that the minister of health, Ruth Aceng, is avoiding discussions with the legislator on the way forward.

The Alcoholic Drinks Control Bill 2016 was tabled last year in Parliament as a private members’ bill fronted by Nambooze who has also claimed that she has been denied leave by Parliament and who instead sent the promoters of the bill to first make consultations that they say will harmonize issues which could face resistance during mentions on the house’s floor.

Nambooze however, says Health Minister, Aceng is unwilling to meet them and make adjustments where necessary.

While speaking to journalists recently at parliament, Nambooze told the media that her bill has much support from the public especially religious institutions and local council authorities but that it’s now being frustrated by the ministers of health and trade.

She also alleged that the minister of trade, Amelia Kyambadde, wants to snatch the bill from the ministry of health so that it’s frustrated in favor of the alcohol manufacturers and sellers.

Nambooze revealed that when parliament resumes, they will plead to the house to grant her leave (permission) and move to another stage of justifying why this bill is needed to be passed in law to regulate the alcohol use.

Jane Ruth Aceng the minister of health

The bill provides regulations to among other issues restrict the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of 18 and will be an offense for a person to purchase an alcoholic drink for another person if he or she knows or has reason to believe is below 18 years of age or to allow an underage person to access premises where alcoholic beverages are stored, sold or consumed.

It proposes a punishment to offenders of 10 years in prison or 20 million shillings.

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The Ministry of health said there is a malaria outbreak in 10 districts of northern Uganda that has killed a total of 162 people in the last three months. The Director General of health services, Ruth Aceng, says 22, 873 cases have been recorded in Lamwo, Gulu, Kitgum, Oyam and Agago among others.

Addressing the media at the MOH headquarters, Aceng said the cases were realized after recording admissions and outpatients reports in health centres in the 10 districts.

She however reveals that government has put in place a number of interventions which include dispatching three multi-disciplinary teams to provide technical support to the affected districts, delivering anti-malarial medicines and conducting at least two spray rounds to quickly halt malaria transmission.

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