The head of capacity building at the Joint Medical Store in Uganda has suggested an increased level of accountability is required in the bid for universal health coverage.
Emmanuel Higenyi spoke to Salzburg Global whilst attending the session, ‘The Drive for Universal Health Coverage: Health Care Delivery Science and the Right to High-Value Health Care’.
Higenyi said: “We need to raise the responsibility level of governments when protecting health for individuals.
“Mechanisms should be put in place where governments should actively and continuously be reporting on the health statistics in their countries, including inequalities and disparities.”
In his position, Higenyi acts as a study coordinator, reviewer, and principle investigator. He has designed a number of training programs helping health workers to manage logistics, medicines and their supply chain.
Higenyi has recently corresponded as an author for the publication, ‘Translating Pharmacy Research into Evidence-Based Practice-Corresponding’.
Describing the purpose of the report, Higenyi said: “It was informed by the fact that there is a lot of research that has been carried out, but most of this research has never been actually taken close to anything like policy or practice.”
He argued this type of research was important in informing new innovations. To be able to engage with this data further, Higenyi said this could only be achieved through translational research.
“What we are saying is you involve the consumers of the findings from the beginning.
“During the identification of the research area, the design of the research, the conduct of the research, the validation of the findings, and the dissemination of findings, they should be involved in the whole continuum of these activities.”
Higenyi said once these findings were published, it is only then that they can be absorbed and accepted. He believes translational research is particularly relevant when looking at the need for universal health coverage.
“One of the important things that is needed for universal health care coverage and a rights-based approach is that you need evidence of what has worked.
“You need evidence that what has worked elsewhere can work in another setting.”
Higenyi believes once the right working partners are identified, the process of translating findings into policy practice could be accelerated.
“What happens when you use the translation mode [is that] you have tried to identify who are the key stakeholders. Once you know who they are, then you go for them.”
When discussing participatory involvement in health-related research, a number of groups exist: the policymakers and planners, the service providers, and the patients.
Higenyi said: “When we design studies that are going to have an impact on all of these, we need to include them. We need to have an all-encompassing approach. Patients need to be represented.”
As country and regional groups begin to draft change strategies and action plans, Higenyi revealed to Salzburg Global what he’d like to see achieved by the end of the session.
Higenyi said: “We need to be reaching a consensus point on what should different health systems adopt.
“Different countries are in different stages of transformation, but there are certain fundamental things.”
