MPs demand universal health coverage for citizens

By Christopher Arko, GNA

Accra, April 16, GNA – The African
The Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (FPA) invited African countries
governments to accelerate the process of creating Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
accessible to all their citizens.

According to the group, primary health care
(SSP) should be the cornerstone of the health system.

The call was contained in a statement, read
Dr. Robert Kuganab-Lem, Member of Parliament for Binduri, at the end of the year
a two-day forum organized in Accra by the Ghana Parliamentarians' Dialogue on
Universal health coverage, health financing and population and development.

Parliamentarians from Ghana,
Malawi, Cameroon and Tanzania.

According to the group, primary health care
(PHC) should be the cornerstone of the health system, which is the critical point
first step towards health for all.

The group called for parliamentary advocacy to
defending the goals of accelerating progress and making health for all a
reality.

The communique also called parliamentarians
support policies and programs that exploit the demographic dividend by
echoing the ability of young people to contribute to social and economic development
development and innovation.

Review and strengthen the health system,
it is necessary to solve the financial problems to guarantee and mobilize resources
available for the implementation of national health plans and policies.

The group advocated a reduction and
phasing out of personal expenses while ensuring efficiency
implementing cost-effective primary health care policies and strengthening
NHIS from Ghana.

The communiqué stressed the need to initiate
dialogue and resolve current gaps and challenges in health financing
increased investment in health and budgeting in accordance with the 15
percent Declaration of Abuja.

In addition, have universal access to vaccination
is essential for reducing child mortality, morbidity and disability,
important to help countries achieve their long-term health, economic and development goals.
development goals and tackling the problems of immunization and health care
Delivery systems.

The group said it would continue to defend
for gender equality and the empowerment of men, women and adolescent girls and
boys to enable them to make informed decisions about their own lives and become
agents of change for their communities.

He stressed the need to promote transparency
and responsibility in programs relating to the supervision of
parliaments and parliamentary committees to ensure the adoption of public laws
budgets sensitive to programs that favor UHC.

He further called on all parties to respect the
principles of effective development and make every effort to work with
system and structure at the national, subregional and continental levels.

African Parliamentary Forum on Population
and Development (FPA) is a regional network of African parliamentarians
from political groups and countries committed to implementing the
Program of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)
Action and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

FPA aims to promote and initiate cooperation
partnerships between parliamentary networks and other actors active in
population and development in Africa and the world.

GNA