The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) has released a detailed analysis of Uganda’s National Budget for the Financial Year 2025/26, applauding increased investments in human capital development while calling for urgent reforms to address systemic gaps in the health sector.
In its assessment, CEHURD welcomed the government’s decision to allocate a substantial share of the budget to the Human Capital Development Programme—highlighting this as a critical step toward harnessing Uganda’s demographic dividend and enhancing social services such as health, education, and social protection.
The health sector saw a notable increase in its budget allocation—from UGX 2.946 trillion in FY2024/25 to UGX 5.87 trillion in FY2025/26—accounting for 8.1% of the total national budget. This is a significant rise from the previous 4%, reflecting renewed government focus on improving health outcomes. Life expectancy has improved to 68.2 years, and 91% of Ugandans now live within 5km of a health facility.
CEHURD particularly applauded increases in funding for Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (35% increase), Kawempe National Referral Hospital (12.67%), and regional referral hospitals. These shifts are expected to positively impact maternal health and emergency care services, in line with national commitments to reduce maternal mortality and enhance reproductive health services by 2030.
However, CEHURD raised serious concerns about the continued heavy reliance on donor funding. Of the projected UGX 1.61 trillion allocation to the Ministry of Health, 78% is expected to come from external sources—posing significant risks to sustainability.
The analysis also highlighted critical shortfalls:
Underfunding of Butabika Hospital amidst rising mental health needs,
A possible reduction in the environment and climate change budget,
The continued omission of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS),
Neglect of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), with only UGX 3 billion allocated to Reproductive and Child Health.
Key Recommendations by CEHURD:
Financing Health as Strategic Investment: Increase domestic health financing and align it with NDP IV and SDG targets.
Strengthen SRHR and Gender-Responsive Financing: Expand support for family planning, adolescent health, and menstrual hygiene management.
Build Climate-Resilient Health Systems: Reinforce funding for health adaptation to climate change.
Reduce Donor Dependency: Develop a transition strategy and scale up local production of health commodities.
Invest in Digital Health: Implement the National Digital Health Strategy to improve service delivery.
Enhance Community Health Systems: Support Village Health Teams and extend services to hard-to-reach communities.
Integrate Mental Health and NCDs: Embed mental health into all levels of primary care.
Improve Budget Execution and Transparency: Ensure timely disbursements, especially at district level, and empower citizen-led monitoring.
Operationalise the National Health Insurance Scheme: Introduce phased implementation and expand coverage, especially for the informal sector.
CEHURD reaffirmed its support for the government’s ambitions under Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan but emphasized that a resilient, well-funded, and equitable health system is non-negotiable if Uganda is to meet its socio-economic transformation goals.
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