MPs want sh15b budget for mama kits

Legislators on the Parliamentary Health Committee have proposed sh15b to carter for procurement of mama kits in the 2020/2021..

Legislators on the Parliamentary Health Committee have proposed sh15b to carter for procurement of mama kits in the 2020/2021 budget. The Mama Kit is a standard kit for clean and safe delivery in Uganda. To show the need for mama kits, Indicate statistics of mama kits used by women in government facilities. The kits are issued free of charge to pregnant women during antenatal care attendance in government facilities to enable expectant mothers  have safe delivery. "Currently, Uganda's unmet need for Family Planning stands at 29.2%." The committee chairperson of Dr. Michael Bukenya said sh16bn allocated for in the 2019/2020 is inadequate to carter for both mama kits and Family Planning commodities. He explained sh15bn will be allocated by the finance ministry to carter for mama kits, while sh16b will left to carter for on Family Planning commodities. The Woman Mp for Ntungamo Beatrice Rwakimari said if the budget for mama kits is approved, it will help government to monitor the distribution and utilisation of these kits. Each mama kit contains plastic sheeting, razor blades, cotton wool, gauze pad, soap, surgical gloves, exam gloves, cord ties, and a child health card. Speaking during the inter- faith led dialogue meeting with decision-makers on health and family planning financing at Hotel Africana Bukenya said `` What we have been allocating for family planning was being used for Mama Kits, so parliament has proposed that we set up an equivalent amount for mama kits and family planning commodities use the original primary amount,'' The meeting was convened by Faith for Family Health Initiative which brings together religious leaders to discuss how they can work together to improve the health of Ugandans with more emphasis on Family Planning, with Ugandans having families they can look after. Religious leaders under Faith for family health were concerned about high population growth, inadequate and unmotivated health workers, high family planning unmet need which increases child and maternal mortality rates and inadequate information on Family Planning especially in communities.   Through the deputy mufti Uganda Muslim supreme council Sheikh Ali Waiswa called upon the decision-makers to ensure that there is increased financing for Health and family planning budget at both national and sub-national level. During the London FP2020 summit in July 2012, Uganda committed to allocate $5m to Family planning but by July 2017, only $3.3m had been allocated. In the renewed FP2020 commitments (2017), Uganda government pledged to commit $5m to family planning. To date, only sh16b has been allocated to family planning.