Sixty four-year-old Sarah Bunoti Nantono is a retired teacher and Lecturer of Psychology. She enrolled for a Ph.D. program at Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) in 2013 with the goal of studying early adolescent reproductive health.
Having taught for more than thirty years, Dr. Sarah Bunoti Nantono had moved up the academic ladder from being a primary school teacher to a lecturer at Kyambogo University. She believed that earning a PhD would be her ultimate goal in life. While at Kyambogo University, the second largest of the now 13 public universities in Uganda, Dr. Sarah Bunoti devoted her professional life to training social scientists, teachers and teacher educators.
Eleven years later, Dr. Bunoti Sarah Nantono is one of the 46 females of the 132 PhD graduands in the #Mak74thGrad, which begins on Monday, January 29, 2024.
She successfully earns a Doctor of Philosophy ( PhD) in Public Health from Makerere University following her in-depth research titled; “Pubertal and Child Rights Awareness, Communication, and Child Protection against Sexual Abuse and Exploitation among 10–14-year-olds in Jinja Primary Schools: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Effectiveness of a School-Based Intervention.”
Dr. Sarah Bunoti is a seasoned lecturer with a proven track record in teacher training, social sciences, and psychology. Holding an MSc in Environment from Makerere University Institute of Environment, she also earned a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Psychology from Makerere University in 1999, a Diploma in Teacher Education from ITEK in 1995, and a Grade III Primary School Teachers’ Certificate from the National Institute of Education. Beginning her career in 1981 as a primary school teacher, and later as a Teacher Trainer in the Ministry of Education in 1995, Sarah transitioned to Kyambogo University in 2000, where she currently serves as a part-time Lecturer, following her retirement. Sarah Bunoti Nantono is not only an educator but also an accomplished author, contributing to the development of the Child Rights Curriculum (CRED-PRO).
Dr. Sarah Bunoti’s PhD research examined how Jinja primary school children, aged 10 to 14, understood puberty and their rights related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH). The study looked at their knowledge sources, difficulties, and prospects for managing pubertal health effectively.
The 10-14 age group comprises 10% of the global population, with Uganda having a higher percentage at 16%. This period marks the onset of significant changes, known as the storm in Psychology, involving body transformations and social shifts.
According to Dr. Sarah Bunoti, timely support during these changes fosters a sense of achievement, but delays can lead to anxiety and unpreparedness. Uganda, aligning with international agreements, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, works to uphold children’s sexual well-being through policies and partnerships.
Dr. Sarah Bunoti further notes in her research that the 10-14 age group in Uganda encounters puberty during primary school without appropriate information, support, protection, or preparation for the changes, leading to psychological challenges, sexual abuse, early marriages, unplanned pregnancies, and a rise in school dropouts.
Dr. Sarah Bunoti’s PhD Defense Panel [Professor Stella Neema, Associate Professor Joseph Ssenyonga, Dr. Siu E. Godfrey, Dr. Beyeza-Kashesya Jolly and supervisors Associate Professor Lynn Atuyambe, Prof. Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye alongside the session chairperson Prof. Garimoi Orach] determining the verdict before she was declared to have passed her defense.
Busoga region, where the study was conducted faces particularly high rates of teenage pregnancies (7%) and school dropouts (91%). Children hold misconceptions driven by myths about puberty, emphasizing the lack of systematic guidance. Current Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health programs focus on older children in secondary schools, neglecting the needs of those under 15.
Traditional sources, like family discussions, have diminished, placing the responsibility on schools, which often lack the necessary resources and teacher training. As a result, many 10-14-year olds are ill-prepared for changes and lack protection against sexual abuse, highlighting the necessity for evidence-based school interventions to address this information gap.
“Previously in our African traditional setting, the Aunties, Uncles and grandparents talked about puberty and prepared children for adulthood however with the breakdown of African traditional settings, schools are expected to do the role of talking to children about puberty.
Unfortunately, schools often look at puberty as an issue that is concerned with the family and expect the family to do that but also one possible problem is that the teachers themselves don’t know what to do when they are preparing these children for that,” observes Dr. Sarah Bunoti.
Unfortunately, some stakeholders use threatening language, warnings, and punishments, contributing to risk behaviors, including sexual abuse, mood swings, and trauma among children.
“We wanted to find out what these children know about puberty, challenges they face and the support they get. We also wanted to find out from key duty bearers, these are parents and teachers, what kind of support do they give to the children and to what extent do they fulfill their obligations to protect the children against sexual abuse,” said Dr. Sarah Bunoti.
The study covered 16 primary schools purposefully selected for their diverse characteristics, including boarding status, religious affiliations, gender specifications, and geographical locations. The investigators also engaged with government officials to understand their stance on current sexual and reproductive health issues among young adolescents. The study exposed deficiencies in children’s understanding of puberty and child rights, along with teachers’ inadequate knowledge and skills in teaching puberty.
Findings for instance revealed that kids—particularly boys—don’t often get the chance to talk candidly about puberty with adults. In all focus group conversations, the study gave boys and girls a forum to openly address their experiences, difficulties, and rights related to sexual and reproductive health. This emphasizes how important it is for all people to become widely sensitive to the issues that face kids. Stepmothers were found not to communicate about puberty because of generalization and others.
Sarah Bunoti Nantono on the day of her PhD Defence.
“Surprisingly, discussions on pubertal challenges elicited more extensive responses from both boys and girls compared to other topics. Boys, although engaging in perceived anti-social behavior, demonstrated a level of conscience. It became evident that children, despite being sexually and biologically mature, require guidance on navigating the impact of hormones on their sexual feelings. The blame for communication gaps often falls on parents, who may be absent due to work, divorce, or being orphaned,” says Dr. Bunoti.
Subsequently, she developed, applied, and assessed two intervention books; A children’s Resource book and a Teachers’ guide. The Randomized Control Trial demonstrated improved pubertal knowledge among children and enhanced teaching capabilities in teachers, affirming the intervention’s effectiveness. These intervention books were approved by the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) and approved for teaching pubertal health and safety in primary schools nationwide.
Dr. Bunoti has recommended empowering and involving young communicators to convey Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information to 10-14-year-olds, working collaboratively with parents and teachers, a strategy she believes will narrow the generation gap and enhance effective communication. Additionally, she calls for increased awareness and participation of male parents and teachers in SRH communication and child protection.
“Parents and adults should supplement school-based SRHR education by instilling age-appropriate individual, family, and community values and skills rooted in social, cultural, and religious contexts. Provide specialized training for Senior Women Teachers and Male Teachers, and reduce their teaching load to ensure dedicated attention to this critical aspect of education,” Dr. Bunoti expertly says.
During her PhD defense, Associate Professor Lynn Atuyambe remarked, “It was a very enjoyable defense. You truly and successfully defended your PhD—now, you own your PhD.”
“I want to thank most especially your family, they’ve been part of this journey I am not guessing, I know they’ve been and am excited to see them and I like the support they have offered to mum. The highest level of education in the world is a PhD, you can do no more than that. You have reached at the saddle of your life in academia, congratulations and I wish you good luck,” said Dr. Lynn Atuyambe.
Associate Professor Lynn Atuyambe, Dr. Sarah Bunoti’s supervisor speaking during her defense.
How her PhD Journey started
About a decade ago, SIDA had been consistently supporting Makerere University. However, they decided to extend their support to other public universities. When the opportunity arose, she seized it.
“I have a habit of greeting, and my children often question why I greet so much. Sometimes, it turns out to be quite beneficial. One day, I walked into my Dean Dr. J Katigo – Kaheeru’s office and greeted, asking how he was. He said, ‘Sarah, I am glad you’ve come, read this but I said Doctor I am not ready for this, but he said, ‘Sarah, you can’t give any more excuses, this is a God given opportunity, they want a concept for the SIDA Scholarships, go ahead and write a concept.’ I later met Professor Mary N Okwakol, my undergraduate Lecturer of Zoology, and Professor Albert Lutalo Bbosa, the former Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University, who too reassured me of my potential to attain a PhD. Out of 26 submissions from Kyambogo University, only three concepts were selected, and fortunately, mine was one of them,” Dr. Sarah Bunoti recalls.
Once her concept was ready, Dr. Bunoti came to Makerere University, but her research topic was broad. Unfortunately, her background did not align with the faculties that typically received sponsorship from SIDA. Zoology, Psychology, Education, and Environmental Studies were her strengths, but none fell within the supported areas. Feeling disconsolate, she sought guidance from the then Director of Research and Graduate Studies at Makerere University, Professor Elly Katunguka. “He said, ‘why should you really struggle looking for a home, go and try School of Public Health. With your background, you’ll find a home,” she recalls.
Acting on his advice, Dr. Sarah Bunoti visited the School of Public Health one morning. However, the Dean, Prof. William Bazeyo, then, was away on leave; “I spoke with Assoc. Prof. Fred Wabwire-Mangen, the Acting Dean at the time. I explained my situation, highlighting my expertise in teaching, psychology, and environmental studies. He encouraged me to submit my concept, assuring me that these areas were valued in public health. This led to provisional admission, and I began refining my proposal with their guidance.”
As she exited Dr. Mangeni’s office, he promptly contacted Professor Anne Katahoire, who was by then the Director of Makerere University Child Health and Development Centre and Prof. Atuyambe, who was in Nairobi for a conference and told them; “We have a prospective student here, are you willing to take her up and without hesitation, Prof. Anne said yes and Prof. Lynn said, ‘I am in Nairobi but when I come back, I want to see that student,” Sarah recollects.
Dr. Sarah Bunoti expresses gratitude to the MakSPH PhD Forum, the MakSPH family, the funder and her mother institution -Kyambogo University for the immeasurable support.
Dr. Sarah Bunoti (holding flowers) in a group photo with her PhD supervisors, examiners and family after her PhD defense.
Dr. Sarah Bunoti expresses gratitude to the MakSPH PhD Forum, the MakSPH family, the funder and her mother institution -Kyambogo University for the inestimable support. She is also grateful to head teachers, teachers, children, and parents from her 16 project schools; Jinja City and District Education, Health and Community Development officers as well as the Family and Child Protection Unit of the Uganda Police Force and others for the information and support rendered to her.
“I can’t quantify the support I received from MakSPH, from PhD forum, from my supervisors you all did a good job to support me in this. In addition, SIDA did a good job because with our teaching salary, paying for my PhD would have been a problem but they paid all my tuition even when the scholarship was ending they said Sarah, we are paying for two years at ago and paid for the field’s activities,” she recalls.
She is equally grateful to everyone who provided her and her research team with useful information; Kyambogo University for assigning a teaching assistant to help her focus and her husband, Dr. Bunoti, who has promised to support her dream. “I want to thank my family, my sister Mrs. Rebecca Lucy and her husband Eng. Dr James Muwuluke, my children. They have been there for me, my husband, Dr. Bunoti met me when I was a primary school teacher and he was a Doctor teach and told me, Sarah, I will support you until you are tired of reading and has kept his word, there are few empowered men who will want a woman to come up and get the title they hold,” she said.
Dr. Sarah Bunoti with her family.
“Given what I have gone through, am so excited about this achievement. My family is so excited about this. My husband is extremely excited. They have written short paragraphs about me about my resilience. I had decided not to hold any celebration but my sister and her husband says this could not pass since it is no mean achievement,” she says.
Dr. Bunoti anticipates scaling up the approved intervention, particularly to additional primary schools in the Busoga region and beyond and has already began talks with Ministry of Education and Sports to support children’s understanding of puberty, a sine qua non for education and parenting.
Unexpected difficulties affected Dr. Sarah Bunoti Nantono’s journey to earning her Ph.D., resulting in longer than the expected four to six years. Midway through her studies, she developed insomnia, which was an unexpected health problem. In 2020 when it appeared that she would soon graduate, the Doctoral Committee insisted that she must publish her work, and was reluctant to accept a monograph, one of the options for one to graduate with a PhD at Makerere University. Further delays were due to lengthy processes to have her manuscripts published and clearances through the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Other than these challenges, Dr. Nantono also had to repeat the entire data collection process and deal with the untimely death of Assoc. Prof. Joseph Oonyu, a key member of her doctorate committee, in October 2020. Despite these challenges, Dr. Nantono feels proud to have completed her doctorate, demonstrating her incredible endurance in the face of adversity.
A joint study between Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) and The Open University, UK, is investigating a possible link between maize cultivation and malaria risk in Uganda, as evidence increasingly points to livelihoods and everyday economic activities as key drivers of transmission of the disease.
The research initiative was advanced during a stakeholders’ workshop held on April 15, 2026, at MakSPH’s Resilient Africa Network in Kololo, where a team led by Assoc. Prof. David Musoke of Makerere University and Dr. Kevin Deane of The Open University presented ongoing and previous findings on the social determinants of malaria. The meeting brought together academics, policymakers, and practitioners to examine how agricultural practices, particularly maize farming, may be shaping malaria patterns in both rural and urban settings in Uganda.
The work builds on a growing body of research linking malaria to economic activity. One such study, led by the two researchers and published in Global Public Health in December 2025, found that livelihood activities such as farming, livestock keeping, and night-time work significantly influence malaria exposure. The study identified agriculture, especially maize cultivation near homes, as a key factor associated with increased mosquito density and heightened infection risk.
Assoc. Prof. David Musoke presents research findings on how livelihoods, including maize cultivation near homes, may influence malaria exposure during a stakeholder workshop at the Resilient Africa Network, Kololo, on April 15, 2026.
At the workshop, Dr. Musoke said the new inquiry reflects a broader shift in how malaria is understood, outlining how livelihoods, particularly agriculture, shape exposure through multiple pathways, from crop production and water use to the timing of daily activities that coincide with peak mosquito biting hours. These patterns, he argued, extend risk beyond what conventional interventions, such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor spraying, are designed to address.
Uganda remains one of the countries most affected by malaria, with the disease accounting for a significant share of outpatient visits, hospital admissions, and deaths. It is consistently ranked among the leading causes of illness and mortality, particularly among children under five and pregnant women. Despite sustained investment in prevention and treatment, including widespread distribution of insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying, transmission remains high in many parts of the country. This persistence has increasingly drawn attention to factors beyond conventional interventions, including the role of livelihoods, environment, and everyday exposure to mosquitoes.
Maize grown close to homes, with damp ground conditions, may increase exposure to malaria in rural communities.
“As researchers, our role is to generate evidence, and that evidence should inform decision-making,” Dr. Musoke said. “We do not work in isolation. What we hear from stakeholders matters. We are bringing together different sectors, disciplines, and institutions because this work is still in progress, and we intend to build it collaboratively. Increasingly, research requires not just academics, but policymakers, implementers, and communities to be part of the process.”
The collaboration with The Open University has been central. Dr. Deane said the idea of examining the relationship between maize and malaria emerged from several years of joint research on social determinants with MakSPH. He pointed to a gap in malaria research, which has largely focused on biomedical and indoor interventions, while overlooking the role of livelihoods and outdoor exposure.
Assoc. Prof. David Musoke (left), Dr. Paul Mulumba (centre), a Health Inspector in Wakiso District, and Dr. Kevin Deane (right) share insights during the workshop at the Resilient Africa Network, Kololo, on April 15, 2026.
“We cannot continue relying solely on bed nets, spraying, and treatment,” Dr. Deane said. “These remain essential, but they are not sufficient for elimination. There is significant outdoor malaria transmission, particularly among adults, and that is linked to how people live and work.”
He added that maize presents a complex case. As one of Uganda’s most widely grown staple crops, it is central to both food security and household income, making it impractical to separate farming from living spaces. This, he said, underscores the need to better understand the relationship and develop responses grounded in evidence and local realities.
Evidence presented during the workshop drew on both community experiences and existing scientific literature. Prior qualitative research by the team found that mosquito populations increase during maize growing seasons, particularly in the evenings. Scientific studies also show that maize pollen can enhance mosquito survival and longevity, potentially increasing their capacity to transmit malaria.
Dr. Kevin Deane of The Open University emphasised the need to move beyond conventional malaria interventions to better understand how livelihoods and everyday activities shape exposure during the stakeholder workshop in Kololo, Kampala, on April 15, 2026.
Previous work in Wakiso district further situates maize within a wider set of risk factors. Findings show that agriculture, including crop production and animal husbandry, can create conditions that support mosquito breeding through stagnant water, water storage practices, and environmental changes. These risks are compounded by outdoor activities in the early morning and evening, when exposure is highest. The research also points to the growing role of urban agriculture, which is bringing crop cultivation and potential mosquito habitats closer to residential spaces, altering traditional patterns of transmission.
Ms. Doreen Nabwire Wamboka, in-charge at Namayumba Epicentre Health Centre III in Wakiso District, said the discussions challenged long-held assumptions that malaria is a “well-understood” condition.
“I used to think malaria had been fully researched, that we already knew what we needed to know,” she noted. “I now see that what has been studied is the conventional side of it. There are emerging factors we have not paid attention to. This work is opening up new ways of thinking, even about things we take for granted, like the crops we grow around our homes. We treat malaria as ordinary, yet it is still one of the most common conditions. Understanding these connections could change how we approach the disease.”
Ms. Doreen Nabwire Wamboka, In-charge at Namayumba Epicentre Health Centre III in Wakiso District, engages in a co-creation session as a fellow participant looks on during the stakeholder workshop in Kololo on April 15, 2026, underscoring the need for collaborative approaches to design interventions to tackle malaria.
The initiative will now combine spatial analysis, entomological studies, and community-based research to better understand how maize cultivation influences malaria risk. It will also involve farmers and other stakeholders in shaping potential interventions, reflecting a broader shift toward co-produced solutions.
The workshop, funded by The Open University, marked an important step in refining this research agenda. As the work progresses, its findings could inform policy and practice not only in Uganda, but also in other malaria-endemic countries where maize is widely cultivated. For now, the research signals a shift from isolated interventions to a more integrated understanding of how livelihoods and environments drive malaria transmission.
Update: Application deadline extended to 30th April 2026
Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) is pleased to announce the Certificate Course in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (CWASH) – 2026.
This intensive and practical short course is designed to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of professionals involved in the planning, implementation, and management of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services. The programme responds to the growing demand for competent WASH practitioners in local government, non-governmental organisations, and the private sector.
Course Highlights
Duration: 8 weeks (01 June – 24 July 2026)
Mode: Day programme (classroom-based learning and field attachment)
Fees:
UGX 900,000 (Ugandans / East African Community)
USD 500 (International participants)
Application deadline:Thursday, 30 April 2026
Who Should Apply?
Practising officers in the WASH sector
Environmental Health workers seeking Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
Applicants with at least UACE (or equivalent) and one year of WASH-related work experience
Attached to this announcement, interested persons will find:
The course flier, providing comprehensive programme details, and
The application form, which should be completed and returned to MakSPH together with the required supporting documents.
For full course details, application procedures, and contact information, please carefully review the attached documents. Eligible and interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply before the deadline and take advantage of this opportunity to build practical competence in WASH service delivery.
Makerere’s School of Public Health (MakSPH) is expanding faster than it can house itself. It now hosts more than 1,000 students, runs programmes across multiple countries, and anchors a large share of the University’s research output. Yet parts of its operation still spill into rented space, costing over $113,000 a year, because the infrastructure has not kept pace with its growth.
That constraint sits uneasily with the School’s economic weight. Health research accounts for more than half of Makerere University’s academic output, making it one of the University’s most productive engines. As Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe put it, “An educated population is a healthy population, and an educated and healthy population is a prosperous population.”
Beyond the university, health is not just a social outcome but a driver of economic performance. Healthier populations are more productive, more resilient, and less costly to sustain. Investments in public health, whether in prevention, systems, or infrastructure, raise an economy’s productive capacity, not just improve outcomes.
A construction worker undertakes metal fabrication works at the Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) building site.
Institutions that generate public health knowledge and train professionals are not peripheral to growth; they are part of its foundation.
It is this logic that is shaping how Makerere’s School of Public Health is positioning itself. At its centre is a new, unfinished complex on the University’s main campus, intended to anchor the School’s next phase as a regional hub for research, training, and policy support. But like much of the system it supports, it is being built gradually, in a “build-as-you-go” approach constrained as much by funding realities as by design.
Construction of Phase II of the MakSPH complex is now at an advanced stage, with progress recorded across all sections of the site. As of March 2026, Phase 2B is nearing completion at 98%, while Phase 2A stands at 89%, and Phase 2C at 69%, each tracking close to or slightly ahead of planned targets. Current works are concentrated on interior finishes—including tiling, terrazzo installation, and external rendering—as well as preparations for lift installation, signaling a transition from structural works to final detailing. The project team is working toward a practical completion date of August 31, 2026, with timelines calibrated to align with broader resource flows and implementation considerations.
Six years ago, in February 2020, construction began on what will be the new home of the School of Public Health. The building, a permanent, purpose-built public health facility on Makerere’s main campus, will accommodate a growing student body, provide space for doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, and strengthen the University’s ability to respond to Africa’s most pressing public health challenges.
Professor David Serwadda, Professor Emeritus at Makerere University and Chair of the MakSPH Infrastructure Fundraising Committee, said the construction journey reflects the School’s “ambition, intent, and courage”—a bold step despite limited resources. He was speaking at a public lecture on health financing held at Makerere University on April 9, 2026.
But the ambition behind the project is not modest. “We are not building for today—we are building for the future,” said Professor David Serwadda, reflecting on a decision that shaped the entire construction effort. “We need to build for the next 100 years.”
Professor David Serwadda, Professor Emeritus at Makerere University and Chair of the MakSPH Infrastructure Fundraising Committee, speaks at a public lecture on health financing for Uganda’s future, held on April 9, 2026.
That long view helps explain both the scale of the project and the risks taken to start it. When construction began, the School did not have the full funding. “We started with about a third of the required budget,” Serwadda said.
The approach was not without setbacks. A major grant from USAID, worth over a million dollars, was later withdrawn, midway through the construction, due to the closure of USAID. “We received what is called a ‘Dear John letter,’” he recalled. “At that moment, we felt the situation was a major blow, almost terminal for the project.”
But the project did not stop. It adjusted. “We said, let us continue, piecemeal,’” he said. “Finish the auditorium first, use it, and keep building the rest.”
“We have come a long way as the School of Public Health,” said Professor Rhoda Wanyenze, the Dean. “We are proud of that history, but we also recognize that it comes with responsibility.”
Professor Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean of the Makerere University School of Public Health, speaks at a public lecture on health financing for Uganda’s future, held on April 9, 2026.
She argued that responsibility is no longer confined to Uganda. With ongoing collaborative work in more than 25 African countries currently, the Dean says this is “a responsibility to provide leadership in public health not only in Uganda but across the continent.”
The scale of that growth has been visible from what was once a small training unit in the Faculty of Medicine in the 1950s, which has expanded into 12 academic programmes and more than 1,000 students.
“When I came back for my public health training, we were about 40 students,” she said. “Now, we have more than 1,000.” “Public health is growing and evolving,” Wanyenze said. “And we are doing our best to develop the skills needed for this changing landscape.”
That includes new areas such as health informatics and data science, driven by the digitisation of health systems and the growing role of data in decision-making and AI. The School is already coordinating regional platforms on digital health, linking multiple countries in shared learning and practice.
But this growth has outpaced the physical systems needed to sustain it. For the University leadership, the implications extend beyond infrastructure.
“One of the most effective ways to invest in health in Uganda is to invest properly in Makerere University,” said Vice Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe. “We must recognize Makerere as a research-led university with a special national role—not fund it like any other institution or department. Makerere is one of the government’s greatest assets. Invest in her, and the returns will exceed expectations.”
Professor Nawangwe hailed Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi, the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, who delivered a keynote on investing in health for Uganda’s future in view of Vision 2040. “I wish to thank Dr. Ramathan Ggoobi and his team for their personal intervention in allocating resources in next year’s budget to complete the new School of Public Health building. That support is deeply appreciated,” he said.
Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe speaks at a public lecture on health financing for Uganda’s future on April 9, 2026.
Uganda’s progress in health outcomes is evident, but uneven. Life expectancy has risen significantly from about 50 years in 2000 to roughly 68.8 years in 2024, according to the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi. Yet the gains sit alongside persistent financial strain on households. About 4% of Ugandans still spend more than a quarter of their consumption on healthcare, pushing many into poverty as a result of illness.
For Ggoobi, this points to a structural gap that recurrent government spending alone cannot close. “We must mobilise long-term domestic capital without adding fiscal risk,” he argued, pointing to the need for more sustainable financing mechanisms. Central to this is the gradual design and rollout of a national health insurance scheme. Evidence from countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, and Ghana suggests that well-structured contributory models can expand coverage while reducing catastrophic out-of-pocket spending.
“My Ministry and the School of Public Health must be partners. … Evidence framed in fiscal terms drives policy,” said Ggoobi, stressing the need for locally grounded solutions. “What works in Ghana might not work here. We need a model that fits Uganda.”
Uganda’s current macroeconomic conditions, relatively low inflation, currency stability, and expanding private credit may provide a window to move in that direction.
![Dr. Sarah Bunoti's PhD Defense Panel [Professor Stella Neema, Associate Professor Joseph Ssenyonga, Dr. Siu E. Godfrey, Dr. Beyeza-Kashesya Jolly and supervisors Associate Professor Lynn Atuyambe, Prof. Nazarius Mbona Tumwesigye alongside the session chairperson Prof. Garimoi Orach] determining the verdict before she was declared to have passed her defense. Davies Lecture Theatre, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.](https://news.mak.ac.ug/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Makerere-CHS-SPH-74th-Graduation-Dr-Sarah-Bunoti-Jan2024-PhD-Defense-Panel-1024x683.jpg)
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