The determinants of health care demand in Uganda: The case study of Lira District, Northern Uganda
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Date
2006-05-27
Authors
Jonathan J.A.O. Odwee
Francis Nathan Okurut
Asaf Adebua
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AERC
Abstract
The study investigated the price and non-price factors that affect health care demand in
rural Uganda using household data from Lira district in northern Uganda, which is the
poorest region. The government had introduced the user-fee scheme as a strategy for
supplementing government budgets to improve health care delivery systems.
The results suggested that the demand for government heath care services was
negatively and significantly influenced by the user-fees and drug unavailability. A
simulation analysis suggested that an increase in medical charges (user-fees) leads to a
fall in demand for government health facilities but increases the demand for both private
health facilities and self-medication. Controlling for drugs availability, the demand for
government health facilities falls when drugs are not available while demand for private
health facilities rises.
The policy implication is that government should be able to put resources from things
like debt relief to stocking the drugs in public health facilities while the internally generated
tax revenues could be utilized to provide free health services especially to the poor. In the
long run, the policy option of a social health insurance scheme may be explored.
Description
RA 395 . U 34 O39 2006
Keywords
Medical Care- Needs assessment - uganda - Lira District , Health Facilities - Utilization- Uganda - Lira District , Drug utilization - Uganda - Lira District