About Us
Background
Uganda Muslim Medical Bureau (UMMB) is a national organization established by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) in 1999 to coordinate activities of Uganda Muslim health facilities. UMMB has direct supervisory mechanism to ensure that health facilities under its jurisdiction abide by the guidelines and standards set by the Ministry of Health.
The Bureau coordinates the activities of all member health facilities and is the main link between these facilities, government, and other stakeholders. UMMB also provides advocacy for support to member facilities from government and other development partners. Channels donor funding to member facilities, facilitates coordination between member facilities, communicates health regulations and standards from government, training of member facilities’ staff on issues related to health and other topics to
ensure that standards are followed and regular support supervision to assess needs and provide resources where possible.
The membership of the bureau consists of Muslim-Founded, Private-Not for profit (PNFP) health institutions and organizations that are involved in health care and working for the cause of Islam and the large Ugandan population. Currently the bureau membership consists of 5 hospitals, 2 HCIVs, 37 HCIIIs and 18 HCIIs. Totalling to 69 PNFP facilities and two health training institutions under its umbrella.
The leadership and governance of the bureau comprise of a 13-member board that is appointed by the secretary General of UMSC subject to approval by the General Assembly at the Annual general Meeting. The day-to-day management of the bureau is done by the Executive Secretary, who is accountable to the board.
“If anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all mankind.” Quran surah Al-Mai dah 5:32
Objectives of the Bureau
- To supervise all health programs undertaken by all member health facilities.
- To advise and guide member facilities on matters concerning promotion, curative, and preventive health.
- To coordinate all health matters among member health facilities
- To provide a platform for member facilities for the initiation, influencing on change of policies and actions that favour and promote Muslim service delivery.
- To be an overall umbrella through which all health-related matters within the community are addressed.
- To strengthen the linkage between UMMB, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) and member facilities.
Functions of the Bureau
- Provide effective and efficient communication network among member facilities and between member health facilities and government.
- Advocate for favourable policies and laws to create a conducive working environment for health care delivery.
- Participate in formulation and contribute to the implementation of government policies and plans using a comparative advantage in the Muslim community.
- Support health programs in member health facilities.
- Maintain Ethical and high-quality care standards in health facilities Support the training of health personnel.
Specific services provided to members
- Advocacy for support to members from government and health development partners
- Channel donor funds to members
- Facilitate coordination between member health facilities and with government and development partners.
- Support the implementation and communication of health regulations and standards.
- Strengthen the capacity of network health institutions on various health services management components.
- Provide regular technical support supervision and monitoring of all health-related activities in both Health facilities and Health training institutions.
- Provide regular technical support supervision and monitoring of all health-related activities in both Health facilities and Health training institutions.
The UMMB strategic Plan Development Process
The UMMB 2022-2026 Strategic Plan was developed through a participatory process that brought key stakeholders on board. A core writing team was set up from UMMB and Uganda Health System Strengthening (UHSS) Activity that provided technical support to develop the plan. A review of existing national policies, plans and frameworks was done to inform the strategic plan, which included Vision 2040, the NDP III, HSDP, MoH strategic plan 2020/21 – 2024/25, the UMMB annual work plans, annual reports, among others.
- Advocates for support to member facilities from government and health development partners. This support could be in form of construction, provision of equipment or funds for primary health care and posting of qualified health workers to the facilities.
- Channels donor funds to member health facilities of UMMB
- Communicates health regulations and standards from the Ministry of Health
- Trains the member facilities’ staff on issues related to management and other medical topics to ensure that standards are followed
- Regularly does technical support supervision to assess needs and provide resources where possible
UMMB has worked with and received funding from the following organisations:
- CDC/Mildmay Uganda (Human Resource support)
- USAID/Strengthening District Sustainability (SDS) project (Human Resource support)
- USAID/SUSTAIN project (Human Resource support)
- Uganda Muslim Welfare Association (Construction)
- USAID/Uganda Private Health Support program (Capacity building and Health Systems strengthening)
- USAID/IntraHealth International (Human Resource support)
- Enabel (Formerly Belgian Technical Cooperation) (Capacity building)
- Munathamat Al-Daawa AlIslamiyya (Conference )