Bariyo, R: Community participation for healthcare delivery

Community participation has become a buzz word in decentralized healthcare service delivery today than ever before. In Uganda, various efforts and initiatives have been put in place to build, enable, empower and promote, as well as supporting private initiatives. Some of these initiatives are voluntary and have evolved to secure resource mobilization for healthcare financing and delivery, and to ensure that the rights of healthcare service users are observed. Community participation should used for the benefit of the entire community. The central and local governments in Uganda should adequately play their "new" role of providing a more conducive political, economic, social and legal environment, favourable for community participation to mobilise resources for healthcare financing, delivery and utilisation. Alternative healthcare financing mechanisms, such as CHF, should be supported by the Government, since they play a great role in providing healthcare services to poor people in rural areas. While ensuring access to healthcare, the rights of healthcare users and providers should be respected by all actors in healthcare delivery and utilisation chain.