UHF to host East Africa Healthcare Conference in Kampala

It gives me great pleasure to inform you that UHF (Uganda Healthcare Federation) will be hosting the East Africa Healthcare Conference in Uganda Kampala on the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd of May 2012 at the Sheraton Hotel in Kampala. This is a brief email kindly requesting you to secure these dates in your diary. It promises to be a highly interactive, innovative and eye opening conference targeted at the private health sector in the East African region. A number of influential individuals and funding organizations have already committed their presence at the event, hence an even added opportunity to network.

The 1^st of May will be an evening event with UHF holding it’s AGM followed by a dinner/cocktail session and networking opportunity. This ideally will give our partners from all the East African countries the chance to travel in good time and be well prepared for the 2 day conference. Detailed information and opportunities not to miss through the three day session, will follow shortly.

   

Please feel free to forward this to any relevant colleagues or partners you believe will benefit from this conference. If you have any queries at all,  please do not hesitate to contact me

PROUDLY UGANDAN CAMPAIGN: "BACK TO SCHOOL EXHIBITION"

Greetings to all UHF members. Today is our chairman Dr. Ian Clarke's birthday, so happy birthday Dr. Ian on behalf of all UHF members, we wish you many more happy returns and galvanised energy to take our work forward! As UHF members you all know we strongly benefit from our partnership with PSFU (Private Sector Foundation Uganda). It is for this reason I draw your attention to an exhibition dubbed 'Back to School Exhibition'. If you're all into making that shilling stretch an extra mile, this is the place for you to be whilst looking out for great deals and bargains for your little ones (some not so little) who are going back to school. Above all, Proudly Ugandan is hosting Ugandan made products, so for a bargain whilst at the same time supporting the local industry, you will be a very proud Ugandan by the end of the exhibition. Below are further details.

Dear PSFU Member,

Hope this email finds you fine and business is progressing. This is to invite you to be a part of the Proudly Ugandan Campaign “Back to School Exhibition” organized by PSFU and UMA between the 26^th January 2012 and 29^th January 2012 at the Lugogo Upper show grounds former metro next to nakawa market opposite Total Nakawa,; Basically just above the UMA show grounds.

The Proudly Ugandan Campaign is intended to encourage Ugandans and those non Ugandans resident in Uganda to take pride in the country by giving economic priority to our local manufacturers and service providers to enhance development of the country as well as sustain favorable competition in the local, regional and international markets.

This exhibition has been code named Back to school as it comes around the time when there is need for shopping for all those in school at a one stop show at whole sale prices; however there will also be household items and personal items on sale from different companies.

Don’t also miss a chance to be a part of the Business Seminars which will enhance abilities and also strategies for Business Development being shared by seasoned and experienced business practitioners topics such as; 1. “Business Survival in Uganda During Economic instability and strain”, 2. “Opportunities in local and Regional Markets for Ugandan Products”, 3. “Financing your Business” and “ Business Ethics” and you know what its all free; all free, the cost is your time and physical presence and take advantage of this memorable exhibition; encourage your membership, and also all going back to school students, pupils, parents and teachers to make time and take advantage of all the goodies for the four days.

Official opening will be on the Day 2: 27^th January 2012 by the Hon. Minister of Trade and Industry; for more details about exhibiting and participating Contact Daphne on 0755291035 email: dkavuma@psfuganda.org.ug to book your seat for the Business seminars Contact Henry Clarke on 0782436720 / 0704375304 email: hkisembo@psfuganda.org.ug .

Don’t miss this opportunity to exhibit, buy, sale, network, get business knowledge, enjoy the ambiance, music, food, drinks and much more come with  friends and family.

Henry Clarke Kisembo,

Business Development and Training,

Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU)

Productive Board Meeting 10th January 2012

Uganda Healthcare Federation successfully held its board meeting at HIPS (Health Initiatives for the Private Sector) with a near full board attendance. With the great support of HIPS/USAID Uganda Healthcare Federation I am pleased to say is moving forward in great strides and aims to accomplish a lot more in this new year.
All board members present were very motivated and enthusiasitic in carrying the momentum forward at its current professional and invigorating rate. Several important issues were discussed including forward working plans, partnerships to be formed and important top level public private sector bodies on which UHF aims to have a direct input. The membership is also slated to grow bigger and wider this year, with various associations around the country realising that UHF is the more structured umbrellla body in the private health sector to be joined. In brief, some of the important issues discussed include:

• A report on PIRT (Presidential Investors' Round Table)
• Update on representation and direct access of UHF members on the PSFU (Private Sector Foundation Uganda) when top level meetings are being held
• Represenation on HPAC (Health Policy Advisorty Committee)
• Enhancing Credit fiannce in the private sector
• Standards, quality and ethics in the private sector-move towards self regulation
• Medical health insurance bill
• East African Federation Conference

Detailed information and minutes of what was discussed will follow this brief. Keep following the UHF to enhance, the quality and build the capacity of not only your private organisation, but the health sector as a whole in Uganda. Thank you to all the board members who attended and made very valuable contributions and to HIPS for organising and supporting UHF in its crucial work.

Enhancing Credit to the Health Sector program (DCA).

Happy New Year UHF members and all prospective members! This year comes with bright prospects for all UHF members please find enclosed further details on how you can enhance the private health sector in Uganda to fully flourish in this year! We will be having many more exciting opportunities, updating you on latest information and services available to all of you out there. Keep checking and following our blog! Happy and prosperous 2012!!!

 

Dear Partners,

 

USAID and the HIPS Project, wish to inform you of a potential new program that your organization may want to take advantage of. In early 2012 the US government anticipates launching the Enhancing Credit to the Health Sector program (DCA).  Through this program, the US Government works with select Ugandan Banks to offer loan products specifically designed for the health sector. 

As many of you may beware, the health sector often has a more difficult time than other sectors receiving loans from banks.  There is a perception among the banking community that healthcare companies are not run like for-profit businesses and therefore will not be able to pay back loans.  The DCA has been designed to work with borrowers (health companies) and lenders (banks) to facilitate more lending to the health sector and to demonstrate that health sector can be an important client for banks.

If you are a healthcare company,( for example a clinic, hospital, pharmaceutical company, or manufacturer of healthcare products) and are interested in taking out a loan to expand your business, let us tell you how we may be able to assist you.

1.    Firstly, HIPS can provide hands- on technical assistance through a “financial check up”.  Our financial specialist will visit you to discuss your interest in taking a loan and perform a “financial diagnostic” to assess your readiness to take a loan, through analyzing your financial statements, including cash flow management and projections.

2.    Secondly, if you are prepared to move forward with seeking a loan, HIPS can help you analyze how a potential loan (and the investment you make with the loan funds) would help you generate additional revenues which can be used to pay back the loan. Additionally we can help you to better understand the risks and obligations of borrowing.

3.    Thirdly, HIPS can facilitate your meeting with the bank and assist you in the application process.

It is important to note that this program does not guarantee lower interest rates or longer repayment terms, as each loan application will be assessed individually and the terms and the conditions will vary.  However, USAID and HIPS will work closely with the both the lenders and borrowers to minimize risk which may at times results in more favorable terms.

If you are interested in this program, please contact Barbara Addy +256 414 347594, or Joanita at admin@uhfug.org.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

Barbara Addy

Uganda loses sh275b annually in pregnancy related complications

Uganda is losing about $112m (sh275b) every year in health care costs for not adequately investing in family planning, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned.

Dr. Wilfred Ochan, the UNFPA assistant representative said the costs of unplanned pregnancies and complications related to unsafe abortions were greatly affecting investment in the country’s development.

He was presenting a paper on the ‘costs and benefits of family planning’ at the national conference on population and development at Speke Resort Hotel in Kampala on Thursday.
 
Uganda still has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world at 435 deaths per 100,000 births, with unsafe abortion causing up to 26% of the maternal deaths. 

Out of every 25 pregnant women, one faces a life time risk of pregnancy related death.

Ochan noted that although more women in Uganda are now able to practice family planning, majority still lack full access to reproductive health services, including quality contraceptive services.

“Many women bear children before they are ready to have, or more than they can care forcing them to resort to unsafe abortion,” he said.

“Contraceptive use promotes health, saves life and saves money. It is the single most strategic, high impact and low cost intervention for socio-economic development of any nation.”

He also observed that Uganda’s progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goals 5 of improving maternal health and family planning through contraceptive use.  

Uganda’s contraceptive use is still low at 24%, less than half of the projected target of 50% by 2050, he said.
This year sh8b was allocated for family planning in the national budget.

Great News for UHF-Enhanced Capacity

New Role at UHF-Senior Advisor/Adminstrator

It gives me great pleasure to introduce myself to all Uganda Healthcare Federation Members. I am Joanita Lwanga and I have been newly appointed as the Senior Advisor/Adminstrator for the UHF. This is great news for UHF because through this role, we will continue to build and enhance the capacity of our organisation to yield the objectives that it was set out to accomplish and fundamentaly improve the health care system not only in Uganda but the East African region as a whole.

The USAID-funded HIPS (Health Initiatives for the Private Sector) project works with the Ugandan business community to find cost-effective ways to ensure access to vital health services for company employees, their dependents and the surrounding community members. HIPS is currently providing support for the Uganda  Healthcare Federation (UHF), that seeks to advocate in unison for the private health sector in Uganda. For this much needed partnership work and support, I would like to extend my gratitude to HIPS and USAID for assisting UHF particularly through this role for a year

What I do at UHF
The role is quite wide and diverse, however I will summarise very briefly some of the vital duties and responsibilities I am undertaking at UHF.  Through this role I will encompass building membership of the federation, whilst harnessing rapport with all relevant stakeholders in the health sectors. Coordinate, monitor and support all UHF activities and ensure their smooth implementation. I will act as a liaision between the members and stakeholders in addition to working closely with the HIPS partnerships team overseeing support extended to UHF by the project, organising and attending board, committee and other meetings that may be relevant for the federation, supporting the establishment of a voluntary self regulatory systems for quality standards in the private sector, represent the federation at conferences and meetings incuding networking events, participate in the development and implementation of special project activities, liaise with the Kenya Healthcare Federation and other country members of East Africa, participate in the organisation of inter-country meetings and exhibitions, to name but a few. I also will be responsible to the UHF chairman Dr. Ian Clarke and the HIPS Partnership Team Leader Dr. Harold Bisase.

Who Am I and What does it take for this role?
As earlier reiterated, there is a far wider remit on several duties and responsibilities which I will be undertaking and if you feel your issue or point isn't covered and would like any input, communication or support with UHF in your various streams of work, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am quite approachable, professional, experienced in building partnerships, have strong organisational, management and interpersonal communication skills. I am also human, I have a sense of humour. As earlier said, if you would like to contact me I will be more than happy to set up a meeting, phone call or email and see how we can take the work or proposed project activities in relation to UHF objectives forward.

You will be getting constant communication from me for the following year with new developments and exciting prospects for all UHF members in the coming year. Thank you all in both your individual and organisational capacity, for the effort in aiming to build a high quality standard health care system in Uganda and the East African region. I strongly believe that once we work together we all will achieve the main goal and objective of seeing a high quality standard health care system in our country, which is achievable when we all work together.

About Uganda Healthcare Federation

Preamble

Uganda Health Care Federation came into being in 2010 because of the need to have an umbrella organization which represents the private health sector in Uganda. 

There are many associations which represent various interest groups in the private health sector such as Uganda Medical Association, Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Association, but none of them is sector wide to represent the entire private, non-state health sector.

It has increasingly become apparent that in order to foster for the interests of private healthcare sector, one need a body which speaks with sufficient clout and is broad enough to represent the various interests groups and be taken seriously by the government.

More to this is that, in the past the Ministry of Health has primarily worked with the private not for profit organizations while purely private have been marginalized. This attitude is rapidly changing within the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance. This has been fueled by demand from the government side to have a substantive body which can speak for the private healthcare sector as well as the private non-profit sector. In essence the federation will represent all interests of non-state health sector players to the government and East Africa Community.

Structure

The structure of UHF is based on Kenya Healthcare Federation and the Private Sector Foundation Uganda’s model in which the federation provides the opportunity for the various institutional associations, professional associations and corporate bodies to be represented on the federation’s board.This structure ensures that no interest group goes un represented.

UHF board is a representative of private providers, medical insurance companies, facility based health plan providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical equipment and laboratory equipment companies, professional bodies, or associations representing professional and mission hospitals.

The associations which are registered within the federation will continue with their own advocacy and representation of their particular interests in various forums, but this platform will be for the private healthcare sector to speak with one voice.

The federation was registered as a company limited by guarantee in the last quarter of 2010 and a substantive board was elected in 2011 on the federation’s 1^st annual general meeting.

Key Mile stones

 Following are other key milestones that UHF has so far achieved

1.      UHF has been registered as a company limited by guarantee. It is also an associate member of Private Sector Foundation Uganda where it is represented at board level. The secretariat is currently housed at USAID Health Initiatives for the private Sector (HIPS) Project offices at Plot 6, Coppice Road, Windsor crescent in Kololo.

2.          UHF has held its first Annual General Meeting. This was conducted in June 2011 where the federation formed/voted its 1^st board of directors.

3.    Uganda Healthcare Federation has made substantial progress in representing the interests of the Private health sector, for instance UHF has represented the private health sector at the level of Presidential Investors’ round table meetings. In these meetings where UHF is represented by the chairman- Dr. Ian Clarke-the chairman and Dr. Ben Mbonye-vice chairman; the federation has been able to lobby for setting up a health fund similar to the education sector and change of VAT from exempt to Zero rated.

4.    UHF has represented Uganda’s health sector at the East Africa Health Fairs that take place in each member country once a year. In these health fairs, delegates from each country share experiences on progress made in their health sector, investment opportunities available as well as pick key learning experiences on how to better the health sector in the region. These fairs are aimed at exposing the investment opportunities among these countries as well as enable these countries to borrow knowledge for improvement. (All other East African countries are in the process of forming healthcare federations, except Kenya’s federation which is more established)

5.    UHF has also engaged World Bank’s private arm International Financial Corporation (IFC) in various discussions regarding availing long term low-interest financing to health care providers and currently awaiting finalization of these discussions.

6.    UHF has also engaged constantly the Ministry of Finance to set up a fund similar to the agriculture fund which would avail capital to those involved in the health sector.

 Now, there is still a lot that is required to be done to get the federation off its feet. This being an organization that represents the interests of the various private health sector players with one voice, it is imperative that all the groups are represented in the Federation. 
Currently there are only 14 members in the federation. These 14 members do not represent even half of the interest groups that need to come together and speak as one voice. Yet also out of the fourteen, only four have paid the membership fee.

This is a call to all of us to join the federation and become active members as we join efforts to make the private health sector in Uganda more efficient and effective. 

Membership

Membership Categories

UHF has three membership categories these include:

1.       CORPORATE MEMBERS

These include large private or non-government hospitals and large clinics. Smaller clinics are represented through their association membership.  Corporate from other health sector players are also in this category – such as pharmaceutical distributors and wholesalers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, insurance companies covering medical insurance, Facility based healthcare providers (HMOs), medical equipment suppliers, laboratory equipment suppliers and service companies for the healthcare sector.

2.       ASSOCIATIONS REPRESENTING SPECIAL INTERESTS – INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

Uganda National Association of Private Hospitals

Uganda Private Medical and Dental Practitioners Association

Facility Based Health plan providers association

Uganda Insurance association

Uganda Pharmaceutical manufacturers’ association

Uganda Pharmaceutical Distributors association

Uganda Medical Association

Uganda Protestant Medical bureau

Uganda Catholic Medical bureau

3.       PROFESSIONAL AND REGULATORY BODIES

Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda

Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council

Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council

Uganda Allied Health Professionals

Board Members

The board is comprised of:

1. Dr Ian Clarke – Board Chairman
2. Dr. Ben Mbonye – Vice Chairman
3. Dr. Patrick Luwaga – Secretary
4. Dr. Peter Kawanguzi- Acting Treasurer 
5. Kinny Nayer- Member.
6. Nazeem Mohammed – Member
7. Yusufu Sembatya - Member  
8. Lindsay Davidson – Member
9. Dr. Benon Mugerwa - Member 
10. Patrick Mpiima – Member
11. Dr. Margaret Mungherera -  Member
12. Dr. Henry Kasozi
13. Dr. John Wakida
14. Dr. Lorna Muhirwe
15. Dr. Sam Orach

 Our current Members

Corporate Members

§  International Air Ambulance (IAA)

§  Africa Air Rescue (AAR)

§  Karuri Pharmaceuticals (U) Ltd

§  Bishop Masereka Foundation

§  Nakasero Hospital

§  International Medical Group

§  Mayanja Memorial Hospital

§  Sanlam Life Insurance

§  Quality Chemicals Industries Ltd

§  Norvik Enterprises Ltd

§  Surgipharm Pharmaceuticals Ltd

§  Kadic Hospital

Interest oriented -associations

§  Facility-Based Health plan Providers Associations (FHPA)

§  Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Association

§  Uganda Insurers Association

§  Uganda Medical Association

§  Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau

§  Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau

§  Uganda pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ association

§  Uganda Pharmaceutical Distributors’ Association

Professional/regulatory Bodies

§  Uganda Allied Health Professionals

§  Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council

§  Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners'Council

§  Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda 

Mission

To bring all private (non state) sector stakeholders under one umbrella body for the sole purpose of advocating policy change, promoting and championing the interest of the private sector.

Mandate

       §   To address problems of a common nature within the private health sector

§   To advocate for issues that affect the health sector at large.

§   To compliment the public sector’s work regarding health of the country.

§   To monitor the work being done in the health sector, identify loopholes and suggest means of improvement via dialogue and advocacy.

Core Objectives

1.0               The objectives for which the Company is established are:

(a)   To promote and enhance medical care in Uganda with emphasis on the provision of affordable and accessible quality health care on a sustainable basis.

(b)  To provide a forum for consultation and strengthen the voice of the health industry players to promote, protect and champion the interests of the health sector.

(c) To promote development of the standards offering quality health care while encouraging practice of medical and business ethics

(d)  Work in partnership with the government to build sound policy, regulatory and institutional framework supportive of increased productive investment and private sector led growth.

(e)   To create and promote a vibrant, free, competitive and rapidly growing health sector as part of the overall national economy

(f)    Enhance knowledge of the private sector of the situation of healthcare delivery,

(g)   Investigate gaps in the delivery of healthcare, and identify opportunities for Public Private Partnership (PPP), and increased investment in the health sector;

(h)  Build capacity of key public and private interlocutors to engage in effective Public Private Dialogue (PPD) to result in maximum.

(i)    To unite, organize and promote all Associations and Companies involved in healthcare business;

(j)    To promote and protect the interest of the private healthcare sector;

(k)  To work together to achieve marketing and consolidation issues of the healthcare sector;

(l)    To establish a networking system amongst the members;

(m) To establish a collective action on regulations and international standards of the healthcare sector;

(n)  To form a lobby or pressure group to represent the interests of the Company;

(o)To encourage members to adopt improved and better quality mechanisms in healthcare

(p)  To impact on the status of healthcare service delivery in  Uganda;

(q)  To take up such steps by person or written appeals, public meeting or otherwise for the purpose of procuring the funds of the Company and to promote activities for the purpose of raising money for the Company.