At the seventh annual health insurance stakeholders’ conference, held over four days at the Protea Hotel in Entebbe, a resounding plea echoed through the assembly for the government to urgently reassess the regulatory processes governing the health sector.
The diverse gathering included representatives from community and commercial health insurance sectors, healthcare professionals, academics, the Federation of Uganda Employers, and officials from the Ministry of Health and local governments.
United under the theme “Toward Universal Health Coverage in Uganda through Expanding Private and Community Health Insurance Schemes,” the conference concluded on Friday with stakeholders expressing disappointment over the rejection of a previous bill by the President.
This bill aimed to establish a regulatory framework for the health sector, which the stakeholders argued was crucial to prevent a potential crisis in healthcare delivery. They emphasized the inadequacy of the current Insurance Act of 2017, under which health insurance falls, in effectively addressing the healthcare challenges facing the country.
Despite facing obstacles, efforts to establish a more targeted legal framework gained renewed advocacy from Save for Health Uganda (SHU), a not-for-profit organization.
Dr. Elizabeth Ekirpa-Kiracho, an expert from Makerere University Institute of Public Health, emphasized the necessity of a mandatory healthcare insurance policy but stressed the importance of a robust legal framework for its effective implementation.
Dr. Ekirpa-Kiracho highlighted the exclusionary nature of high premiums from private providers, particularly affecting the impoverished. She also pointed out the challenges faced by Community-Based Health Insurance in serving those unable to afford even minimal premiums proposed by these schemes.
Drawing inspiration from countries like Peru, Costa Rica, and Ghana, she advocated for a system where the government covers healthcare for all citizens or those unable to afford it.
Fredrick Makaire, Executive Director of SHU, presented stark statistics, revealing that only 3.9 percent of Ugandans currently have health insurance. This leaves the majority to bear their healthcare expenses out of pocket, placing a significant burden on the less privileged.
Dr. Nakimuli Leticia Irumba, SHU’s board chairperson, emphasized the urgency of supporting the 41 percent of Ugandans outside the formal economy who are unable to access healthcare services due to financial constraints.
Rutahibwa Elisa, representing the Parliamentary Health Committee, reiterated the necessity of health insurance as an alternative solution, considering challenges such as drug theft, inadequate infrastructure, and personnel shortages in the national health system.
He expressed Parliament’s readiness to support a new bill after the President’s rejection of the 2021 bill, emphasizing the need for a robust regulatory framework.
Minister Margaret Muhanga Mugisa acknowledged the existing healthcare bottlenecks and hinted at a new bill in progress following the President’s rejection of the earlier one.
She underscored the need to prevent avoidable diseases and criticized societal complacency towards health risks such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and poor dietary choices.
Addressing concerns about population explosion and teenage pregnancies, Minister Muhanga emphasized the need for quality healthcare, challenging the perception that a large population alone constitutes a market.
She acknowledged challenges in introducing contraception, citing resistance from religious leaders and moralists.
Sponsored by USAID, the Federation of Uganda Employers, Uganda Insurers Association, Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau, SMART, and the Ministry of Health, the conference continued its discussions until its conclusion on Friday.