Uganda Muslim Medical Bureau Forges Partnership with Turkish Cooperation Agency (TIKA)

In a significant step towards international collaboration and cooperation, the Uganda Muslim Medical Bureau (UMMB) recently joined forces with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) through their executive secretary Mr. Muzamiru Kivumbi at Kololo mid-August. 

https://twitter.com/ummb_i/status/1697553432402337890

According to Mr. Muzamiru Kivumb, the Turkish Ambassador to Uganda in July, H.E. Mehmet Fatih Ak, the ambassador promised to support UMMB to strengthen the health systems.

Following a meeting with the Turkish Ambassador to Uganda in July, H.E. Mehmet Fatih Ak, the ambassador promised to support UMMB to strengthen the health systems in its network including supplies, constructions, capacity building, scholarships, and technical assistance for the management of non-communicable diseases through TIKA the Turkish implementing agency whenever the opportunity arises. “UMMB can count on the continued support of the Turkish authorities in health sector and other areas or partnership,” going forward you need to have a meeting with our country director whom I have shared your letter with and this shall help to accomplish many things together. He said

 Mr. Muzamiru Kivumbi, the Executive Secretary of UMMB, led his team to the meeting with Mr. Ömer Aykon the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) country director office In Kololo. Kivumbi, informed the TIKA country director about the meeting they had with the Ambassador who guided him to carry on the discussion to TIKA office on matters concerning health interventions & the upcoming UMMB Health convention. As our brothers, it’s through this background that UMMB wishes to share the Convention concept that seeks support from TIKA as we can’t holder this event without you, we look at printing some IEC materials (banners, Teardrops, Bandanas, Annual reports, Pens, Note books, carrying bags, caps, T-shirts, dairies) which will be used during the two days convention with any expectation of 350 participants for this year’s health convention and all the above items have been costed and as the bureau our plans are in high gear to set a mark in our health network and contribute to the national priorities program. To have this a success, your support and advise will play crucial role towards achieving one of our set agendas in the 2022-2025 strategic plans.

In response to the Executive Secretary’s submissions, Mr. Omer Aykon, TIKA’s country director in Uganda, said: “Our relations with Uganda Muslim Supreme Council are not limited to religion, we also try to reach every corner of the country with Health interventions”. Being the leading country in health and UMMB programs communicates to the remedy of the deficiencies in health, with the little tokens within our means we pledge to give a hand starting with the Health Convention under your plans.  The Turkish people will always be looking forward to supporting you in health interventions to the Muslim Umma and general public…” TIKA, as the agency is responsible for implementing and coordinating Türkiye’s development cooperation policy and has been supporting Uganda, especially in terms of capacity and institutional building in the fields of education, vocational training, health, agriculture, tourism, and others since the early 2000s.” Omer said.

For the past three years UMMB didn’t hold annual convention due to the outbreak of COVID19 in 2020 with restrictions on physical interactions and meetings as it was guided by WHO, until COVID19 was declared by WHO on May 5th 2023 as being not an international emergency but rather treated as any other disease, UMMB started planning to horst its annual convention from 6-7 December 2023 under the theme “Improving the Quality of Health care in Muslim Facilities” with vision to navigate different avenues of contributing to the national agenda on Health care improvement. In attendance was the UMMB Communications Specialist Mr. Wabusimba Amiri and Mrs Namakula Joweria MCHN program officer.
About the Uganda Muslim Medical Bureau (UMMB

Uganda Muslim Medical Bureau (UMMB) is a national organization established by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) in 1999 to coordinate activities of Muslim non-profit health facilities. The Bureau coordinates the activities of all member health facilities and is the main link between these facilities, the government and other stakeholders and Currently the bureau consists 69 Muslim-founded, Private-Not for profit (PNFP) health institutions and organizations (5 hospitals, 4 HC IVs, 41 Health Centre IIIs and 19 Health Centre IIs) and Two Nurses and Midwifery training institution and one Medical Laboratory training institution that are involved in health care and working for the cause of Islam and the large Ugandan population.
The convention is expected to take two days at a hotel African in Kampala as agreed in the last annual health convention in Fort portal city were Participants will be taken through different sessions highlighting interventions and health projects done by the facilities, IPs, Embassies’ and UMMB during the past years. The convention will attract external facilitators from Ministry of health, Partners, embassies, international guest and the inter-medical bureau coalition (IBC) members.

 This strategic partnership aims to strengthen ties between the two organizations and work together on various initiatives in the field of healthcare and humanitarian assistance.
The pivotal meeting took place in the picturesque setting of Kololo, where the Executive Secretary of UMMB sat down with the Director of TİKA to discuss the potential areas of collaboration. The gathering was marked by a spirit of mutual respect and a shared commitment to improving healthcare and addressing medical challenges in Uganda and beyond.
 The Uganda Muslim Medical Bureau, known for its dedication to providing healthcare services and support to the Muslim community in Uganda, saw this partnership as an opportunity to expand its reach and impact. TİKA, on the other hand, has a strong global presence and a track record of successfully implementing humanitarian and development projects worldwide.
 The coming together of these two organizations promises to be a game-changer in the healthcare sector in Uganda.