KAMPALA, Uganda–The Parliament of Uganda, will next week, from 20th to 23rd February 2018, host the sixth Parliament Health Week under the theme ‘“My Health, my Right”.
The Parliament Health Week is an annual event that is organised as part of the worldwide activities to commemorate the World Aids Day, which is commemorated on 1st December annually.
The Parliament Health Week activities have been structured in line with the theme for last year’s World Aids Day, “Right to Health." The Week will commence with a Health Walk on Tuesday 20th February 2018, which will be flagged off by the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga.
To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including that of ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030, will depend heavily on ensuring the right to health for all.
The Health Week, which targets Members of Parliament, staff and the general public has the following as its main objectives; to bring to the attention of Members and staff of Parliament the importance of the right to health; to increase demand for HIV Counseling and Testing, Mother To Child Transmission prevention, HIV Care and treatment; to eliminate gender inequalities and end all forms of violence and discrimination against women and girls, people living with HIV and other key populations; To increase the number of young people who have skills, knowledge and capacity to protect themselves from HIV and have access to sexual reproductive health.To promote healthy lifestyle choices like regular medical checkups, cancer screening and health seeking behaviors, and To donate blood to save life.
Parliament is working with the stakeholders to take health care services nearer to the people. The services to be offered include among others; Voluntary Counseling and Testing, cancer screening, voluntary male circumcision, Blood donation, eye check-ups, general health checks, aerobic activities and health talks from various guest speakers.
Service providers offering services during the Parliament Week will include Uganda Cares, Infectious Diseases Institute, Uganda Blood Transfusion Services, St. Catherine Hospital, Trevo, Sickle Cell Network Uganda, Bomgi Nutraceuticals, Uganda Cancer Institute, Reach Out Uganda, Sanlam, AAR, Jubilee Insurance, International Medical Group, Green World, QYT, Ropheka Physiotherapy, UAP Life Insurance.
The Health Week is part of the Parliament’s outreach programmes of identifying itself with the people of Uganda. The Parliament is a part of both the national and global campaigns to prevent HIV/AIDS infections.
