The Ministry of Health has launched a nationwide initiative to strengthen leadership, governance, and management skills among District Health Teams, aiming to enhance service delivery and accountability across Uganda’s health system.
The move comes amid ongoing concerns over absenteeism, patient extortion, and weak supervision in public health facilities, despite recent government salary enhancements for scientists and health workers.
Speaking during a capacity-building training in Jinja City, Dr Alfred Driwale, Commissioner for Institutional Capacity Building and Health Workforce Development, said poor district-level leadership is a major factor contributing to underperformance in the health sector.
“We realized that when you have weak leadership in a district, absenteeism is much higher. Healthcare managers must be prepared to manage people, time, skills, and attitudes if performance is to improve,” Dr Driwale said.
The training brought together District Health Officers and Assistant District Health Officers in charge of maternal health from Eastern and Northern Uganda, equipping participants with leadership, management, and governance skills to strengthen oversight and accountability in their districts.
Dr Driwale noted that, despite salary enhancements, service delivery has not significantly improved at facility level.
“Skilled and competent managers are essential for performance improvement,” he added. The Ministry also found that leadership gaps have negatively affected key programs such as immunization, with weak supervision and inadequate follow-up identified as major contributing factors.
Analysis of the District League Table, which ranks district performance annually, revealed that districts with strong leaders consistently performed well, while those with weak leadership lagged behind. “Leadership was the common denominator. That is why we identified it as a core component to be strengthened,” Dr. Driwale explained.
Following a training needs assessment, the Ministry partnered with Kabale University and selected private sector actors to co-design the curriculum for the Health Sector Transformative Leadership Programme, targeting leaders at national, regional, district, hospital, and health facility levels.
“This program will contribute directly to the National Development Plan IV, Vision 2040, and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals in the health sector,” Dr Driwale said.
The six-month program, supported by UNICEF, will be rolled out nationwide to equip District Health Teams with practical administration, leadership, and management skills.
Prof. Everd Maniple, Professor of Public Health at Kabale University, explained that the training emphasizes integrated service delivery, with particular focus on immunization services.
“The Ministry is concerned that access and quality have not reached desired levels. This program builds the capacity of district leaders to address these gaps effectively,” he said.
The Ministry believes that by empowering district leaders with the right skills, Uganda’s health system will achieve better performance, improved accountability, and enhanced service delivery for communities nationwide.