HEPS Launches Essential Medicines’ Consumer Awareness Campaign

HEPS-Uganda has kicked off a consumer awareness campaign on the prices of medicines, medicines policies, health rights and responsibilities and the handling of adverse drug reactions as well as other information necessary to improve rational use of medicines and increase affordability of private health services and products.

The campaign will be implemented for a period of 8 months in Kamuli, Mukono and Jinja districts. It is being implemented at the backdrop of Uganda’s health sector which is heavily burdened by communicable diseases like Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and Tuberculosis and maternal and childhood illnesses and a growing burden of non-communicable diseases like Cancers, Hypertension and Diabetes. To raise awareness the campaign is going to engage the media, work with National Drug Authority (NDA), community monitors in Mukono, Jinja and Kamuli to empower communities on rights and responsibilities focusing on essential medicines.