By Mulengera Reporters
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has revealed that Cabinet will discuss measures to address the UGX 480 billion funding gap in Uganda’s HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs following the suspension of U.S. aid.
“The suspension of USAID funding, effective January 20, 2025, has significantly impacted Uganda’s HIV/AIDS programs. To bridge this gap and sustain essential services, an additional UGX 480 billion is required. The Ministry of Health is preparing a Cabinet Memorandum to brief Cabinet on the crisis and seek Executive guidance on resource mobilization,” Nabbanja said.
She made the remarks during the plenary sitting on March 6, 2025, while responding to a question from Workers MP Abdul Byakatonda, who sought clarification on how the government plans to mitigate the effects of the funding freeze.
Concerns Over HIV Treatment
Byakatonda questioned the government’s immediate response to ensure uninterrupted HIV treatment for 1.4 million Ugandans and prevent job losses among 12,551 Community Health Workers affected by the funding cut.
“What immediate measures is the government implementing to mitigate the impact of the U.S. funding freeze? How will it safeguard jobs and high-level skills among Community Health Workers?” he asked.
“Given that Uganda currently allocates only 6.5% of the national budget to health, when will government fulfil its Abuja Declaration commitment to increase health funding to 15%? Will government consider establishing an Emergency HIV Response Task Force similar to the COVID- 19 response model to mobilize alternative funding sources and sustain HIV services? What is the readiness/strategy to locally manufacture all our supplies?” added Byakatonda.
U.S. Executive Orders
On January 24, 2025, President Donald Trump issued 26 Executive Orders, including a 90-day freeze on U.S. aid, which led to the suspension of grants and agreements with implementing partners in Uganda.
According to Uganda AIDS Commission data from December 2023, 1.49 million Ugandans are living with HIV—910,000 women, 520,000 men, and 72,000 children. In 2023 alone, Uganda recorded 38,000 new infections, with 22,000 among women, 11,000 among men, and 4,700 among children. The country also registered 20,000 AIDS-related deaths, including 8,200 women, 8,400 men, and 3,200 children.
Domestic HIV Funding
Appearing before Parliament’s Health Committee in February 2025, Dr. Vincent Bagambe, Director of Planning and Strategic Information at the Uganda AIDS Commission, emphasized the funding crisis.
Uganda spends UGX 1.928 trillion annually on HIV services, 60% of which (UGX 1 trillion) goes to treatment and laboratory monitoring. Of this, Uganda contributes only UGX 230 billion, while the rest comes from donors, primarily the U.S. government and the Global Fund.
PEPFAR alone provides UGX 340 billion for health system strengthening, including salaries for 4,333 clinical workers across 2,000 health facilities and 26,690 community health workers linking patients to care.
Dr. Bagambe warned that Uganda remains disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.
“For every 100 people living with HIV globally, four are Ugandans. Despite having a population of 46 million, Uganda still carries 3.8% of the global HIV burden,” he noted.
With the U.S. aid freeze disrupting funding, the government faces mounting pressure to find sustainable alternatives to maintain HIV/AIDS services and protect those affected by the crisis-Parliament Watch. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
