HEPS-Uganda under the Health Systems Advocacy Partnership (HSAP) carried out a capacity building training for 20 civil society organizations last month in Jinja. The training was focused at building capacity of CSOs in doing health policy advocacy on sexual and reproductive health commodities as well as monitoring and evaluation of advocacy interventions. Â The workshop was facilitated by HEPS Uganda Executive Director, Denis Kibira, Health Policy Advocacy Manager, Kenneth Mwehonge, Mikkie Bax from Health Action International among others. The training coverage also included an introduction to SRH commodities, health policy advocacy, effective communication and working with the media, procurement and supply gaps in the SRH Commodities supply chain.
During the training, the trainees visited some health facilities in Kamuli District where they met our community monitors, health consumers and health workers and discussed the constraints and effects of ineffective medicine supply chains on the delivery of quality health care services. There was also panel discussion on the role of Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) on access to medicines in Uganda consisting of MeTA Council members who included Mbarara Woman Member of Parliament Hon. Rosette Kajungu Mutambi, WHO Medicines Advisior Joseph Ngobi Mwoga and Mr. Sebisubi Fred, the principal pharmacist at the Ministry of Health. Also in attendance were Dorothy Okemo from MeTA Kenya, Zindaba Ngwenyama from MeTA Zambia and Mieke Bax from Health Action International (HAI).
The HSA project is an international partnership with African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST), Amref Health Africa and Health Action International (HAI).