NEWS RELEASE
 
HEALTH BUDGETARY ALLOCATION STILL FALLS
SHORT OF THE PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS
AND THE ABUJA DECLARATION
 
REF: TALC 14/11/11
For immediate release
 
The Government Abolishment of User Fee’s in both the rural and urban areas of the country for which the Treatment, Advocacy and literacy Campaign (TALC) commends it, but at the same time must note with a great sense of disappointment that this action alone does not go far enough to empower the poor health delivery system. This is especially so because the budget increment is a marginal 0.7 Percentage point over last years’ budget which was 8.6%.While this years’ allocation is somewhere near 9.3%, this still falls far below our expectations and that of the Abuja Declaration of 15%, a milestone which should have been reached over three years ago.  
 
In this regard TALC is disappointed and would like to implore government to do a lot more and safe guard its investments in other sectors by equally investing more in health. This has been a missed opportunity as a substantial allocation to the health sector would have guaranteed investments in other sectors as health is a cross cutting sector.  
 
TALC also urges government to be strategic and ensure that the health sector is adequately funded especially in the wake of the Donor financial crunch for instance most western countries are undergoing economic recessions or difficulties. These difficulties will manifest in reduced philanthropy from the donor countries a matter which should have been anticipated and planned for in the budget.  Therefore, it is only fair and just that our own government takes up the challenge and square up the funding gaps by committing more resources to the health sector which the paltry 45 % increase over last years’ budget will not do.
 
While money has been allocated for the recruitment of more health personnel and the construction of more health centers, and we commend government for this, however, the targeted 2,500 front line personnel is still a drop in the ocean as this will still be only 10 % of the required 25,000 front line personnel. If we were to continue on this trend it would mean by the time we get to the next elections the PF government would have employed only 12,500 staff less than half of the complement of staff currently required to fully man the health sector.
 
While we agree that things cannot change overnight our final call to action is that we hope that the 2013 Budget is going to meet the aspirations of the people by ensuring that 15% or more is allocated to Health as this is the only way we are going to be assured of a quality health care delivery system after all it is as much our aspiration as it was part of the PF campaign for which it publicly pledged and signed social contracts committing to these aspirations. 
As it is, our health delivery system is suffering from a serious problem and only an injection of a good dose of at least 15% or more of funding is going to cure the ills.
 
N.B TALC is an NGO that serves to advocate for better and affordable access to HIV treatment, care and support through empowering HIV infected people, including children with treatment information and advocacy skills.
 
For Media Contact:   Felix Mwanza, Country Director - TALC