Abstract:
This paper presents the pillars of effective performance of Health Unit Management Committees (HUMCs) in
Eastern Uganda. It checks out for the current system through which HUMCs perform their duties, and the kind of support
they need to be reinforced. The study population comprised 144 HUMCs in 12 facilities. Data was collected using
interview guide with unstructured questions and predominantly structured questionnaire. Were obtained and presented
largely using descriptive approach. According to results, the pillars for effective performance of HUMCs include training
of HUMCs; meetings with district health leaders to get current information on status of health in the district, having
meetings with the District Health Teams especially for purposes of making accountabilities, and sanctioning of rewards
especially where products of effective performance are not viewed. The investigation also maintained that quite often,
monitoring enhances performance of HUMCs given the fact that they are always at health facilities scarcely expecting
their work to be monitored. Recommendations were indicated a need to initiate and maintain a high level of financial
inputs to ease facilitation and register good performance of HUMCs, and that the ministry of health is not in direct
contact with HUMCs, thus there is no transparency and accountability for all services from HUMCs to MoH or from
district to HUMCs as directed by the MoH. It would therefore be recommendable to have an approach that enables
HUMCs to deliver information that would otherwise not be handled at the district level.
