Mwehonge Kenneth

Yesterday, we commenced the Annual Joint Health Sector Performance Review, reflecting on our mandate and the critical role the health sector plays in building a healthy, productive and responsive population. As a Ministry, we must deliver on our contribution to the national aspiration of achieving the 10-fold economic growth strategy. A healthy population is a productive population. This calls for strengthening sustainable health financing, with the National Health Insurance Scheme being a key pillar in ensuring sustainable financing and access to quality healthcare. We remain committed to driving this agenda forward. We must equally prioritise health promotion and prevention by encouraging individuals and communities to take responsibility for their health and prevent avoidable, yet costly, diseases such as malaria. In maternal health, most causes of maternal mortality are preventable through timely and consistent utilisation of antenatal care, skilled birth attendance and access to essential maternal health services. This requires an integrated multisectoral approach, anchored at Parish level through functional Social Services Committees, to promote collective responsibility and improve health outcomes.