Health Services Delivery in Uganda's Rural Communities

PNFPs, PFPs and government-owned health centres were visited during the study, the majority (55.8%) of the respondents were in the age bracket of 46-55, 69.2% were males, 34.2% had obtained up to primary education level, while 33.3% were Village Health Team volunteers, some 58.3% were married. The major hindrance to healthy facility performance in rural areas was the lack of consistently clean water supply. Most rural communities accessed the various health units by means of motorcycles (52.5%), the major factor being health facilities' location nearer to the catchment population rated at 74.2%. There was insufficient health infrastructure, for instance, Kasiina HC IV never had a staff administration block, and with dilapidated infrastructure. Unfortunately, not even a single HC, II, III or IV exists in Nyantungo Sub County. Some 83.33% of the respondents had spent less than 15 minutes waiting for health workers, and 100% never paid consultation fee, the major challenge met in trying to retain health staff, was low salary payments, low local revenue base (at 1.15% of the total 2011/2012 budget), thus skilled human resource for health stood at 49.2%.

Autorentext

Taddeo Rusoke is a senior lecturer at Nkumba University, Uganda & a former Research Fellow at the Medical University of South Africa. He worked with the African Center for Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research South Africa, & Uganda National Health Users and Consumers Organisation to develop the Tobacco Control Act 2015 for Uganda.