Child Health Now in Uganda improves access to medicines by women and children

The Child Health Now campaign in Uganda is improving access to medicines by the most vulnerable women and children. How is the country and campaign achieving this? Through a social accountability approach that coordinates advocacy efforts with local and national levels of government to influence regional and global processes.

At the community level, World Vision Uganda is measuring health facility service standards across many Ugandan districts, and is promoting engagement between communities and the health service providers. What is learnt from this collection of information and measurement helps to start new dialogues with government officials about women’s and children’s access to essential medicines.

At the national level, World Vision Uganda leads the country’s Coalition on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. In their regular engagement with the National Parliament they can ensure that the national health budget is compatible with the needs of women and children’s in terms of medicines and healthcare. World Vision Uganda is also engaged in global processes to address these specific needs, having now actively participated in the past two World Health Assemblies engaging the Ministry of Health in country and attending the meeting in Geneva.

In Uganda, this coordinated approach to address the need and engage key change-makers at the local and national levels is making a difference for the most marginalized communities. This coordinated advocacy that starts with a strong community-based effort can hold governments and other organizations accountable to their made commitments in maternal, newborn and child health. It also supports the ability of policymakers, development partners, program implementers, health professionals, civil society activists and community members to together improve access to essential medicines and healthcare by the people who need them most.

This article was contributed by: Thiago Luchesi is Advisor for Child Health Policy and Rights at World Vision International and is based in Geneva; Esther Nasikye is the Child Health Now (CHN) Coordinator at World Vision Uganda and is based in Kampala.