Every 12th December, SPEED Project joins the rest of the world to celebrate Universal Health Day. Last year’s celebrations were held under the theme; “Health for all, Keep the promise”. The SPEED project joined the youth to celebrate this day. First, on 11th December 2019, the SPEED team joined the youths at the Public Health Youth Symposium organized as a pre-event for the 2019 UHC day celebrations in Uganda. Some members of the SPEED team offered technical inputs during the preparations and as well as making presentations at the symposium. The symposium theme was “Opportunities and Challenges of Achieving Universal Health Coverage in Regards to Young People’s Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in Uganda. The youth reflected on factors that constrain or advance their access to vital SRH interventions under the UHC agenda.
On the very day of UHC celebration,12th December 2019, the SPEED’s Knowledge Management Officer, presented a paper on health financing and its implications to achieving UHC with respect to the youth’s health needs at an event organized by the young people at Fairway Hotel – Kampala.
This was an adolescent Health Accountability Round Table organized by the Uganda Youth and Adolescents Health Forum – UYAHF to celebrate UHC day. The youths deliberated on how adolescent health and well-being issues can be put on top of Uganda’s UHC Agenda. The SPEED’s Knowledge Management Officer, presented a paper on health financing and its implications to achieving UHC with respect to young people’s health needs.
In attendance were; Dr. Sarah Byakika the Commissioner for Planning, Financing and Policy- Ministry of Health, who officially opened the Round Table dialogue, Dr. Olive Sentumbwe -Mugisa and Dr. Bayo Fatunmbi from World Health Organization (WHO) Uganda and Mr. Archilles Kiwanuka from Partners for Population in Development Africa Regional Office, Representatives from Miss Uganda Foundation, InterAid Uganda, WeTalk Series among others.
Some of the youth pose for a group photo with Dr. Sarah Byakika (second left) and Dr. Olive Sentumbwe-Mugisa (middle in orange outfit) at the round table.
Dr. Bayo Fatunmbi encouraging the youth to uphold health promotion education and disease prevention through engaging in physical exercise, eating healthy, regulating the use of alcohol and tobacco and adopting safer sexual practices.
