Uganda: A Focus on Health Financing and Digital Transformation

Uganda’s health sector is currently defined by an intense and urgent focus on health financing, driven by recent cuts in donor countries aid, as well as persistent domestic budgetary constraints and competing national spending priorities. This challenge has catalysed a proactive national response, including a robust embrace of digital health solutions to expand access to care, empower patients, and strengthen the overall health system.

The following analysis consolidates views from a health writer at a national radio network, a health editor at a private television network, a health reporter from a leading media organisation, and representatives from NGOs focusing on health and human rights.

Health financing and emerging disease threats

Uganda’s media landscape reflects a national health agenda dominated by the urgent search for sustainable financing and the need to combat a range of infectious disease threats. Health financing is described as the top trending topic in health coverage. The suspension and re-prioritisation of external funding—most visibly from the US, but also within a broader donor ecosystem that includes the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) and European bilateral donors—has created an urgent need for the government and its partners to identify and secure alternative funding sources to prevent the collapse of essential services.

There is significant concern and media coverage around diseases like Ebola and Marburg, given Uganda’s position in a “hot spot” region. Drug-resistant tuberculosis is another growing threat that is capturing attention. Mental health and substance abuse, historically neglected, are now gaining attention as critical public health issues, especially among young people.

HIV/AIDS resurgence and global health security

After years of progress, there is growing concern over a resurgence of new HIV infections, particularly among youth. Media and civil society voices increasingly point to the suppressive effect of punitive laws targeting LGBTQ+ communities on HIV testing, diagnosis, and prevention efforts, alongside the freeze in external funding, which has historically supported a large portion of Uganda’s HIV response, exacerbates this challenge.

“The battle against HIV which seemed to be going in the positive direction is being lost again with the resurgence of new infections among youth. With the freeze of funding to fight HIV from the US government the situation is likely to worsen as many people who were undergoing treatment will face challenges.”

— Health reporter, leading media organisation

There is a sustained media focus on the country’s capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to infectious diseases, with a particular emphasis on strengthening surveillance and health controls at its borders.

The impact of funding shifts and Uganda’s response

The withdrawal of US funding has had a profound impact on Uganda’s health system, prompting a multi-pronged response at the national and regional levels. Civil society organisations (CSOs) that relied on US grants have been forced to scale down crucial outreach, family planning, and HIV services, shifting a significant burden onto an already underfunded national health budget and widening inequities in access to care.

In response, Uganda and its partners have initiated a series of strategic actions:

• Government action: The government is drafting a cabinet white paper for policy discussions and has asked parliament to identify alternative funding sources to fill the gap.
• Budget re-alignment: Health rights advocates have successfully lobbied parliament to increase the health sector’s budget allocation.
• Regional collaboration: Uganda participated along with the East African Community (EAC) Partner States, which comprises eight countries—Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania, in March 2025 in an East African regional meeting to launch the implementation of an EAC Pooled Bulk Procurement Mechanism (EAC PPM) which would leverage collaborative purchasing power to reduce the cost of medical supplies.
• Local manufacturing: The National Drug Authority is encouraging local production of medical essentials and drugs by offering incentives such as tax holidays to investors, with the aim of building a more self-reliant supply chain. However, past experiences, including the Cipla case and similar withdrawals by large manufacturers, highlight the challenges of sustaining local drug production beyond fiscal incentives.

Innovations in digital health

Uganda is actively implementing a range of digital health innovations to strengthen its health system and improve access to care:

• Self-Care Tools: The Ministry of Health is advancing the use of a Self-Care Dashboard and App that empower individuals—especially women and young people—to manage their sexual and reproductive health by enabling self-testing for HIV and providing information on contraception.
• AI-Driven Diagnostics: Artificial intelligence is being piloted in several key areas, including tuberculosis detection, cervical cancer screening, and malaria diagnosis, to improve accuracy and speed.
• Telemedicine Platforms: Digital tools like Rocket Health and Matibabu are being used to expand virtual consultations and health education, reaching patients in remote areas.
• Electronic Health Records: Efforts are underway to digitise patient records, which will improve data-driven decision-making at both the facility and national levels.

Strengthening media collaboration

To improve collaboration and produce more impactful health stories, Ugandan journalists have clear needs and expectations from health organisations.

“We do not only need to report about the findings, but we want to be part of the process of getting the findings. This gives a deeper understanding of the topics and makes it easy to report about.”

— Health writer, national radio network

Journalists express a strong desire for more fluid interactions, including the opportunity to join researchers in the field. This allows them to gain a deeper understanding of health issues and tell more authentic stories from the community’s point of view. There is a critical need for media training on complex health topics and work grants to facilitate detailed, time-consuming reporting. Financial sponsorship is essential to overcome the severe limitations of media house budgets. Journalists also require assistance in accessing restricted data from government institutions and need to be linked with expert voices who can provide context and analysis for their stories.