Keynote Address by UN Resident Coordinator at World Health Day Commemoration

Salutations

The Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng

The World Health Organization Representative, Dr. Yonas Tegegn

Development Partners

Representatives from Government

Representatives from Civil Society

Representatives from Private Sector

The Media

Ladies and Gentlemen                          

On behalf of the United National Family, I wish to begin by recognizing the valiant sacrifices made by health workers across Uganda and the world to help ensure our well-being during one of the worst pandemics to affect the human race. Please join me in observing a minute of silence for all those lost to COVID19, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases which are top causes of death. Thank you. I also wish to use this opportunity to convey our congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of Uganda, and to all partners contributing to Uganda’s social economic development and humanitarian action. Agenda 2030’s call to leave no one behind includes an ambition to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages which can only be achieved if we work together.

In his message for World Health Day, the UN Secretary-General notes that within countries, illness and death from COVID-19 has been higher among people and communities that contend with poverty, unfavourable living and working conditions, discrimination and social exclusion. He also notes that thanks to the COVAX initiative, more nations are now beginning to receive vaccine supplies, but most people in low- and middle-income countries still must watch and wait. He calls on us to commit to work together for a healthy, equitable world as part of our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Uganda’s National Vision aims to achieve a modern society. The question is what type of modern society are we working towards? The African Obuntubulamu value system, the UN Charter, the SDGs, the Ugandan Constitution and the National Vision 2040 have informed our efforts to contribute to national efforts to create a healthy society comprised of citizens well informed of their rights and responsibilities in promoting the critical role of Primary Health Care (PHC) in the effective delivery and utilization of health services and in addressing health inequities. We must redefine Primary Health to include new risks such as COVID 19 and we must accelerate progress towards Universal Health Coverage. The top five causes of death in Uganda currently include neonatal disorders, HIV/AIDS, malaria, lower respiratory infections and tuberculosis. It is an individual and collective responsibility to promote public health as part of our civic code. We need citizens who will support prevention measures against COVID-19, HIV-AIDS, malaria, among others. We must work towards a society that protects the environment, promotes good sanitation and protects access to health-justice-education as part of primary services.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work forever. COVID-19 has highlighted that all sectors including Government, private sector, civil society, academia, the media and communities must collaborate as partners for the effective implementation of relevant policies, strategies and plans. The major lesson from COVID-19 is that poverty, gender, ethnicity, education, occupation, migrant status, disability and discrimination can affect people’s ability to access health services, jeopardizing our collective wellbeing for nobody is safe until everyone is safe. 

As the WHO Regional Director noted in her World Health Day message, the solution to this is to take firm “actions on the social and economic determinants of health, by working across sectors to improve living and working conditions, and access to education, particularly for the most marginalized groups.”

Uganda is home to some 45 million people and 1.4 million refugees, the largest safe haven in African and third in the world. Uganda is also the world’s second youngest nation, and more than half of the population are women. The successful implementation of the National Development Plan III requires an integrated approach to health in which we work towards Universal Health Coverage and SDG 3 aspiration of achieving Good Health and Well-being for all. I wish to take this opportunity to welcome the adoption of the health insurance bill on April 1st this year and to call on the Government to increase allocations to the health sector which currently are estimated to stand at 5.1% of the budget for 2020/2021 which is far below the African Union Abuja declaration call for all African States to spend at least 15% of national budgets on improving the health sector. We can build resilient health systems capable of ensuring that people obtain services when and where they need them. We can innovate and develop vaccines, health equipment and protective gear to increase access to care regardless of your location or status. To achieve health equity, it is important to invest in child survival programmes, dignified lives in older age as well as in the fight to eliminate violence against women and children. We must also pay attention to issues of the environment and climate change, the type of dwellings in which people live, work and access critical health care.

Before we conclude, as we commemorate World Health Day, I call on leaders at all levels to work with communities, stakeholders, private sector, cultural and religious leaders to address social and economic inequities as we take steps to tackle inequities and build a fairer, healthier world. Access to health is a human right and part of shared universal values guiding our shared humanity. Although the world is unequal, it is your right to demand for better health services and it our shared responsibility to ensure people have better access to health services so that they can become productive citizens.

On behalf of the United Nations system in Uganda, I pledge our commitment to continue supporting the Government and people of Uganda to improve health and well-being through the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021 to 2025 in support of the third National Development Plan and Uganda’s Vision 2040 of achieving a modern and prosperous country.

As I conclude, let me share a few words from UN Secretary-General António Guterres from his World Health Day Message for 2021, “As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we must implement policies and allocate resources so all can enjoy the same health outcomes. That means achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. And it means delivering universal health coverage so everyone, everywhere, can thrive.”

Thank you.