Minister Aceng cautions MPs against donations

The Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, has warned African Members of Parliament (MPs) against the practice of receiving free donations from western countries because they often come with strings attached.
Dr Aceng, while speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day 14th annual meeting of the Network of African Parliamentary Committees of Health (NEAPACOH) last Wednesday in Kampala, said lawmakers should instead focus on manufacturing and consuming their own products.

Uganda was hosting the MPs and other delegates from Benin, Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Chad, among others.
 “We must focus on manufacturing our own commodities and pharmaceutical commodities and stop this attitude of begging and waiting for donations,” Dr Aceng said.

She added:  “Having been the minister of health, I have understood the secrets behind donations. There is no free lunch...We must rise up to the challenge of a healthy Africa, one that is independent, and show the rest of the world that we can do it [handle our own issues] just like in Covid-19 [era] and also just like [how] Uganda demonstrated recently in ending an outbreak [Ebola] in 69 days.”    
She also urged MPs to unite in improving health systems in Africa.

Mr Peter Eceru, the programme coordinator for advocacy at Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), said Uganda is heavily donor dependent at 40 percent. He appealed to African governments, including Uganda, to invest local resources to bolster funding for health.