Mallex Shipanga
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) has announced that the country is closer to finalising its universal health coverage (UHC) policy.
MoHSS spokesperson Walters Kamaya confirmed on Wednesday that the policy is ready for Cabinet review.
“Cabinet submissions have been prepared, and the policy is ready to be presented to the Cabinet. The MoHSS is now awaiting the policy to be slotted on the Cabinet agenda for discussion and approval,” said Kamaya.
He said the UHC Policy was presented to the health minister Kalumbi Shangula towards the end of 2024, which he reviewed and approved.
Kamaya outlined the expected impact of the UHC policy, emphasising its long-term vision for healthcare in the country.
“The UHC Policy will guide the country’s vision of providing affordable, equitable, quality health services for all for 10-20 years. Making progress towards UHC is a continuous journey that aims to ensure no one faces any challenges in accessing the care they need. The UHC Policy should not be seen as a separate project to be implemented but as a strategic vision for our aspirations for health. The country is already making progress towards UHC,” said Kamaya.
He further assured that measures will be in place to monitor the policy’s implementation.
“The UHC Policy has a robust monitoring and evaluation framework that will be used to collect data and measure progress towards UHC. These measures will include access to care, quality of health services, availability of essential drugs, human resources, etc. needed to deliver health services,” said Kamaya.
According to him, the ministry has been working towards a universal health coverage policy in collaboration with USAID’s Local Health System Sustainability Project (LHSS Project) since 2022.
The LHSS Project desk explained that prior efforts to develop a UHC policy were stagnant, with a MoHSS draft on the matter from 2019 receiving no external input or endorsement.
“LHSS assisted with a stakeholder mapping exercise to identify the broad set of players whose support would be critical to approving and implementing a UHC policy. Then LHSS helped the ministry bring these stakeholders together for a series of meetings where open and honest communication was encouraged and welcomed,” said the LHSS desk.
These efforts led to the creation of a new draft UHC Policy Framework.
This document lists the challenges in the country’s health system, such as the lack of services, variations in the quality of care, unequal access, and problems with funding for the health sector.
“The next steps are to finalise the policy and gain approval from the health ministry’s leadership and the Cabinet,” said the LHSS desk.
