The Smart Africa Village Development Consortium, together with the Ministry of Health, has embarked on the construction of five modern diagnostic centres in the Busoga sub-region to improve healthcare delivery and control the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The facilities will be established at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, Bugiri General Hospital, Iganga General Hospital, Mayuge Health Centre IV, and the Centre of Diagnostic and Imaging Excellence at Kamuli General Hospital.
Speaking during the inauguration and swearing-in of board members for the Smart Africa Village Development Consortium, the organization unveiled plans to build state-of-the-art biomedical and diagnostic facilities across Kamuli, Iganga, Jinja, Mayuge, and Bugiri districts.
According to Dr. Nelson Muzira, the Country Director of Smart Africa Village Development Consortium, the project will also include the construction of a Centre of Biomedical Excellence to support equipment calibration at the Ministry of Health’s Infrastructure Unit.
“This initiative is aligned with our national strategy to control non-communicable diseases. The intervention is timely and will position Busoga as a regional hub for diagnostic excellence,” Dr Muzira said in an interview with Nile Post.
Busoga, long identified as one of Uganda’s regions most affected by poverty and NCDs, is expected to greatly benefit from the new diagnostic centres, which will improve early detection, treatment, and health outcomes.
Guest of honour Rebecca Kadaga, the Third Deputy Prime Minister, commended the initiative and urged policymakers to align national development plans with the country’s healthcare needs.
“National planning should be commensurate with the health demands of our people,” Kadaga said, adding that special attention should also be directed toward combating sickle cell disease, which continues to affect many Ugandan families.
Health officials say the new centres will not only enhance diagnostic capacity but also strengthen the region’s preparedness for future health challenges through improved biomedical infrastructure and training.