The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah, has called on Government to adopt a new financing mechanism where programmes are financed based on results.
Oulanyah said by doing this, Government will not only fight resource wastage but overcome dependence on donor funding.
“We are saying that if you prove that you built the school as per the specifications and money allocated, also tell us how many children are passing exams because of the school built. We want to see the changes in the community not just reports,” he said, while launching a Shs40 billion USAID funded project dubbed ‘Enabling Health in Acholi’.
“I say this because I am sure the money Parliament passes every year is sufficient to handle the affairs of the country without external help,” he said at Koch Goma HCIII, Nwoya district.
He said that the current financing mechanism is hindered by corruption and diversion of resources, as some money is stolen and incompetent people are hired to do jobs.
The ‘Enabling Health in Acholi’ project will run for four years and will be implemented in districts of Gulu, Omoro, Nwoya and Amuru.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said that the four districts benefiting from the US donation have performed well in areas of maternal health, validating the essence of result based refinancing.
She said that the funds will mainly focus on improving maternal and child health.
“I want to task health workers to ensure that our mothers and babies do not die when they reach health facilities,” said Aceng.
The US Ambassador to Uganda, Deborah Malac, said she was hopeful that the funding from her government will reduce maternal and child deaths which she said are way too many yet from preventable causes.
“We have given a gift of US$11 million to government of Uganda to help expand services in the four districts with hope that it will transform child and maternal health in Acholi sub region,” she said.
