Uganda launches MeTA

Posted on 4 April 2009

Uganda launched MeTA successfully on 27 March in Kampala. Thirty stakeholders representing all sectors participating in Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) – private, public and civil society - and around 20 journalists attended.
 
At the launch Rosette Mutambi, Executive Director of HEPS-Uganda, a stakeholder in MeTA said;,“There is a need to use available resources to make essential medicines available for people of Uganda and we hope that increased transparency in the medicine sector will contribute to more access.”
 
Uganda is one of the seven countries participating in the pilot phase of the MeTA. The alliance is a new global initiative working in collaboration with DFID, the World Bank and the World Health Organization to increase access to essential medicines and health supplies through a multi-stakeholder approach that enhances dialogue between public and private sectors, including pharmaceutical industries, civil society organisations (CSOs), government and international development partners.
 
MeTA Uganda will work in a multi-stakeholder process with civil society organisations, public and private sectors to improve access to essential medicines and health supplies.
 
“I am particularly keen to see  the success of this approach by working towards having a level playing field in the pharmaceutical industry; assisting CSOs to have a meaningful voice that articulates issues in the right forums; and working with the Government to build capacity and encourage transparency and accountability”, said Brian Elliott, Executive Director of MeTA.
 
In Uganda, different stakeholders in the health sector have made efforts to provide access to health services to the population and extend support to Private-not-for Profit (PNFP) facilities. But there are still challenges for different stakeholders to be transparent and accountable over the pricing and quality of medicines. In Uganda it is estimated that over 60% of the population seek health care from the private sector forcing them to pay out of pocket.
 
“The government through the Ministry of Health has continued to provide free health care system with extended support to PNFP health facilities and the CSOs…It is therefore important to note that the initiative of MeTA is timely and will contribute to addressing challenges that have perpetually contributed to poor access to medicines”, said the Director General, Health Services, Dr. Sam Zaramba.
 
MeTA is in line with the objectives of the Uganda Health Sector 2005 – 2010 Strategic Plan but Uganda has long had a history in her collaborative activities in the area of access to medicines. A tripartite collaborative arrangement that includes WHO, Health Action International Africa (HAI) and the Ugandan Ministry of Health started in 2002. All parties have been involved in a number of activities in the areas of pricing surveys, and availability of medicine in both public and private health facilities. Work around rational use, good quality medicines and price monitoring has so far been conducted with support from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) through WHO.