[afro-nets] Greener pastures and HIV/AIDS in Africa (4)

["William Kidega" <wkidega@aidsfocalpoint.org>]

Greener pastures and HIV/AIDS in Africa (4)

Dear Sarah,

The problem of human resources for health is truly of big concern every where you go in Africa. Just a few days ago I participated in the Joint AIDS Review for my country Uganda and a lot was said in this regard. As part and parcel of this review meeting, the country is developing a Country Strategic Plan as opposed to the National Strategic Framework that has been guiding our efforts for the last couple of years. In principle all stakeholders agreed that systemic issues interalia inadequate resources and with a lot of emphasis to human resources was brought to the fore and addressed. I hope this will be translated into reality.  Of great concern is also the fact that we are not only having attrition for better/well paying international jobs, but also faced with intra country specific attrition of health workers to well paying bi-lateral, multi lateral NGOs. This alone is a source of concern that is affecting service delivery especially in PNFP health facilities if I may be more specific.  Nonetheless I still attest that this problem surrounds remuneration of the health workers.

Regarding the involvement of what you are referring to as traditional healers (called complimentary/traditional medicine providers in Uganda), I would comment that this is a useful idea but issues of quality assurance so as to guard against the provision of harmful/destructive medicines and exploitation by these category of service providers is what governments through their respective technical arms should pursue critically.

I otherwise thank you for your passionate submission.

William Kidega
Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer
Uganda Episcopal Conference HIV/AIDS Office
mailto:wkidega@aidsfocalpoint.org