Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision (Kampala) - September 9, 2008
Anne Mugisa and Raymond Baguma
"Ugandan providers seem to be over prescribing antibiotics for sick children," the study said.
"73% of all observed sick children, 90% of children with a cough, but no severe respiratory problem and 70% of children diagnosed with malaria were given antibiotics."
This is one of the findings of the Service Provision Assessment Survey carried out to assess the availability of health services and level of client satisfaction.
The director general of health services, Dr. Sam Zaramba, launched the report at the Serena Hotel in Kampala yesterday. He warned that the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics had serious consequences, including resistance.
The 2007 survey was carried out by the Ministry of Health and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics in collaboration with USAID, PEPFAR and the Presidential Malaria Initiative.
The study covered health infrastructure, reproductive health issues, including family planning, child health, HIV/AIDS and STDs, TB, malaria and basic services that support effective delivery of health services.
According to the study, the infant mortality rate fell from 89 to 75 babies per 1,000 births in five years. The number of women dying from pregnancy-related causes slightly dropped from 520 to 435 per 100,000 mothers.
The study indicated that malaria still ranks as the biggest cause of child deaths, accounting for between 25% and 30% of child deaths. The survey also notes that there is a disparity in access to basic health care services in the various regions of the country.
Other challenges facing health facilities include lack of regular water and electricity supply, as well as poor vaccine storage and waste disposal methods.
On HIV/AIDS, the survey notes that access to HIV testing and counselling services is lowest in Karamoja and Teso region, which stands at 13%, while Kampala leads with 98%.
Zaramba said they would use the report to guide the Government on improving health planning.
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