The 7th edition of the National Community Health Financing Conference officially commenced on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at Protea Hotel By Marriot in Entebbe Municipality, Wakiso District.
The conference is bent along the theme “Towards universal health coverage in Uganda through expanding private and community health insurance schemes”.
“We are holding this conference to sensitize the policy makers about the Health Insurance benefits to the family, employers and the country at large” remarked Fredrick Makaire, the Executive Director of Save For Health Uganda, the main organizers.
This three-day conference was officially opened by Hon. Margaret Muhanga, the State Minister of Health, in charge of Primary Health Care (PHC).
“This conference is very crucial because we need to come up with the regulatory framework for Health Insurance as a country. Therefore, the ideas generated from the various stakeholders remain key” Hon. Muhanga noted.
Save For Health Uganda is organizing this conference alongside the Ministry of Health, Brot Fur die Welt, Federation of Uganda Employers, USAID, SMART, UPSMB and the Uganda Insurers’ Association (UIA).
The discussants from these various bodies will all be key in the generation of ideas during this conference.
Among the opening day presentations included “Universal health coverage in Uganda through expanding private and community health insurance schemes” presented by Associate professor Elizabeth Ekirapa Kiracho of Makerere University school of public health.
Dr. Leticia Nakimuli Irumba (Board chairperson for Save for Health Uganda), legislator Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa (Mp Rukungiri Municipality and a member on the health committee of parliament) also had presentations.
Jonan Kisakye, the CEO of Uganda Insurers’ Association had a presentation about the performance of Private Commerical and Community based Health Insurance (PCHI) schemes whilst the final presentation on the day was by Dr. Gerald Karegyeya on the performance of CBHI schemes, results of landscape assessment of the existing CHI Schemes in Uganda.
The different members also were engaged in these open discussions.
The conference will continue on Wednesday 22nd November and climax on Thursday, 23rd November 2023 with key resolutions.
