By Aggrey Baba
Uganda’s health sector stands on shaky ground as critical funding gaps, disease outbreaks, and concerns over patient rights threaten to push it into turmoil.
The Uganda Medical Association (UMA) has raised the alarm over the withdrawal of USAID funding, and the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
For years, USAID funding has been the backbone of Uganda’s health services, supporting thousands of health workers and providing life-saving treatment for millions of Ugandans living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB).
However, with the recent suspension of USAID activities, the system is bleeding. Over 3,000 doctors, nurses, and lab technicians have lost their jobs, leaving hospitals and clinics overwhelmed and understaffed.
UMA is urging the government to act swiftly, calling for a supplementary budget to reinstate lost salaries and secure uninterrupted HIV and TB treatment.
If left unaddressed, this funding gap could lead to an even greater health crisis, leaving vulnerable Ugandans without the care they direly need.
Uganda is once again facing an Ebola outbreak, officially declared on January 30, 2025. While the government has taken steps to contain the virus, the UMA has pointed out a lingering injustice, with health workers who risked their lives during the previous outbreak in Mubende yet to be paid their allowances.
Doctors and nurses who fought on the frontlines, saving lives at great personal risk, now find themselves unpaid and demoralized.
UMA is demanding that the Ministry of Health urgently settles these debts and ensures that those currently battling Ebola receive timely compensation. [A soldier cannot fight without a shield, and health workers cannot fight a pandemic without motivation and support].
As Uganda grapples with these pressing challenges, the ball is in the government’s court. Will it act swiftly to save the health sector, or will the system continue to crumble under the weight of neglect? Time will tell. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
