The State House Health Monitoring Unit (HMU), should be considered as the ‘third eye’ of the President, into health care delivery, established in 2009 by a Presidential instrument with the mission to monitor, strengthen, and hold accountable the national healthcare system to provide equitable, responsive and affordable health care services to the Ugandan population.
With a vision of a healthy and socio-economically productive Ugandan population supported by an effective healthcare system, the SHHMU aspires to achieve sustainable, positive outcomes in the health sector.
The Unit’s monitoring efforts focus mainly on core areas that form the building blocks of the healthcare system namely, Leadership and Governance, Human Capital Resources, Infrastructure, Equipment, Plant and Machinery, access to Essential Medicines and Health Supplies (EMHS), Health Information Systems, Clinical Health Service Delivery, and Health Systems Financing. Furthermore, engagement through strategic partnerships, civic education, and community participation through dialogues and radio programs have significantly increased public reporting and awareness on health service delivery. Noteworthy, is that the community engagement platforms have raised awareness on the rights and responsibilities of the public in health care, empowerment to own health service delivery and hold leaders and health care providers accountable.
The SHHMU works with various stakeholders, including but not limited to; the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Uganda Police Force (UPF), Internal Security Organ (ISO), Inspectorate of Government (IG), Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), Ministry of Education, Office of the Auditor General (OAG), Local Governments (LG), National Drug Authority (NDA), National Medical Stores (NMS), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Service, Health Workers Professional Registration and Licensing Bodies, Implementing Partners, and Civil Society Organizations. The SHHMU is committed to the whistle-blower protection mechanisms to ensure that those who speak out against corruption in Health are supported and safeguarded.
The mandate of the Unit, since its creation has been to fulfill the desires of His Excellency for the people of Uganda. The mandate given to the Unit by His Excellency was to ‘Monitor Health Service Delivery in Uganda.’ This has not changed and continues to be the overarching goal of the Health Monitoring Unit. This would result from a robust system that ensures that there are “minimal leakages” in the system following all the investment that has been put in to the sector over the decades.
The intention of the Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) then and now continues to be that of “raising the bar in healthcare.” A variety of approaches being used to achieve that. The key motivation behind all operations and one that is fundamental in the organizational ethic is to see integrity in the delivery of services and to ensure that the Uganda population is able to get better health care. It is the view of the Unit that if there was better stewardship in health service delivery, the country would go a long way in realizing the dream of better health care of the population.
The HMU will work through four thematic areas;
