Kampala, 24 August 2024 – Uganda’s Ministry of Health on Thursday August 22nd launched its Climate Change Health National Adaptation Plan (H-NAP), a comprehensive strategy aimed at bolstering the nation’s health system resilience against the impacts of climate change.
Adapting to climate change presents a substantial financial burden, with Africa projected to need up to $2.8 trillion by 2030 to fulfill its commitments under the Paris Agreement, according to the African Development Bank.
Uganda’s Health National Adaptation Plan (H-NAP), a critical step in this effort, requires an estimated $63 million by 2030.
Unveiled at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala by Third Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Rukia Isanga Nakadama, the H-NAP marks a milestone in Uganda’s response to the escalating climate crisis, particularly within the health sector. This ambitious plan underscores the urgent need to address climate-related health challenges and strengthen the country’s resilience.
Uganda has committed to addressing climate change as a signatory to key global agreements, including the UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, and Kyoto Protocol. In line with these frameworks, the Ugandan government has established supportive policies and laws, such as the National Climate Change Policy (2015), the Climate Change Act (2021), the Nationally Determined Contributions (2022), and Vision 2040.
Rt. Hon. Rukia Nakadama congratulated the Minister of Health and partners for developing the Climate Change Health National Adaptation Plan. She affirmed that the government would integrate climate resilience into the Parish Development Model, Uganda’s strategy for improving household incomes and welfare. The PDM focuses on multi-sectoral community development and addresses key aspects of livelihood enhancement, including human, natural, social, financial, and physical resources.
“In the Parish Development Model there is a need to integrate Climate change interventions. In addition, the National Development Plan III and the newly developed National Development Plan IV highlights Climate change as a cross-cutting issue requiring mainstreaming for all sectors,” said Rt. Hon. Nakadama.
Drawing on the latest climate science and projections, Uganda’s health sector adaptation plan pinpoints critical areas where enhancing resilience is urgent, with the goal of strengthening the adaptive capacity of the health system to climate change and related hazards.
“It is moments like this that make me optimistic and excited about a healthier future. We have gathered at a transformational moment in unprecedented times. I am sure all of you have seen and felt the effects of our changing world. Unpredictable weather events have brought both droughts and extreme flooding as you have heard. Outbreaks of cholera, malaria, yellow fever, measles, and more have become increasingly common,” said William Asiko, The Rockefeller Foundation Vice President for Africa.
Asiko noted that climate change is now the greatest threat of health and wellbeing of billions of people worldwide and that to meet that threat head-on, human beings must “innovate,” “rethink,” and “adapt our health systems from the threats.”
Rebuilding systems is a huge task, especially when lives are at stake, said Asiko, before adding that overcoming these obstacles has been The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission for over a century. “The fight for global health, has always been at the health of our work,” he stated.
William Asiko, The Rockefeller Foundation Vice President for Africa speaking at the launch of the H-NAP by the MoH.
The 2022 report on climate change from the United Nations noted that at least 3.3 billion people’s daily lives are “highly vulnerable” to climate change, and people are 15 times more likely to die from extreme weather than in years past, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report said.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health data show that malaria remains the leading cause of illness among pregnant women and children under five. Uganda also faces critical challenges, with 81% of the population lacking access to safe water, and only 35% having basic sanitation. This results in approximately 19,700 child deaths annually due to diarrheal diseases—equivalent to 54 children that die every day from poor sanitation.
Malnutrition further contributes to infant and child deaths, with 12% of infants born underweight. Adding to this burden are pollution-related deaths; in 2021 alone, over 1,000 people in Kampala died due to poor air quality, this is according to a scientific publication by researchers at the Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH).
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 13 million deaths worldwide, each year are due to preventable environmental causes. Just to mention that air pollution from fossil fuels alone, kills 13 people every minute from lung cancer, heart disease or stroke.
These alarming statistics underscore the urgent need for Uganda’s Health National Adaptation Plan (H-NAP) to address these interconnected challenges and build a more resilient health system.
Dr Christine Musanhu, the Acting WHO Representative in Uganda contends that; “We urgently need to take concrete and timely measures, to protect the health of our populations and build a resilient future.”
According to Dr. Musanhu, climate change is not just an environmental issue; but a profound threat to the health, well-being, and development of mankind.
Dr Christine Musanhu, the Acting WHO Representative in Uganda submitting during a panel discussion. Looking on is Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze.
“Our actions today, will have a long-term effect on protecting future generations from the health consequences of climate change. In collaboration with the Ugandan government, I therefore call upon all partners, to mobilize efforts to join our quest to protect the environment,” she said.
Following numerous disasters globally, WHO has been at the forefront of efforts, to build climate change-resilient health systems. Some of the key, WHO-supported global developments in this area include the: WHO Climate Resilient Health Systems Framework, a comprehensive framework, to guide countries in making their health systems resilient, to the impacts of climate change.
The Uganda’s H-NAP covers ten components based on the WHO framework aimed at building a climate resilient low-carbon health system which is capable of anticipating, responding to, coping with, recovering from. and adapting to climate-related shocks and stress, while minimising the greenhouse gas emissions and other negative environmental impacts to deliver quality care and protect the health and well-being of present and future generations of Uganda.
Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor Makerere University called for determination and solidary in implementing the H-NAP to safeguard the population and generations to come against the uncertainties of climate change.
“The success of the National Adaptation Plan depends on the strength of our collaborations. It requires the concerted efforts of government ministries, health agencies, civil society organisations, the private sector, and the academic community. I wish to reiterate Makerere University’s commitment to being a key partner in this endeavor,” said Professor Nawangwe.
Hon. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, Minister of Health of the Republic of Uganda said; “moving forward, any infrastructure projects in the health sector will be made to withstand the impact of climate change. In addition, Uganda will move forward to address the issue of greenhouse gas emissions by introducing solar lighting and solar refrigeration where applicable.”
Adapting Healthcare to Climate Change: Uganda’s Health National Adaptation Plan 2025-2030
On his part, Mr. Alfred Okot Okidi, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Environment, says as a ministry mandated to coordinate climate change related issues in Uganda, they assess sector budgets to ensure they are climate smart. He noted communities must be protected from the dangers of climate change. He also called on citizens to play their roles in ensuring they mitigate climate change risks.
“We have been encouraging our population to take care of their individual responsibilities. This is not just a government responsibility but a responsibility for everyone. Climate change affects us irrespective of where we come from, our department etc. I want to applaud the Ministry of Health for coming up with this H-NAP because health is one of those components that had not been taken seriously at the global level in respect to climate change,” said Mr. Okidi.
Mr. Alfred Okot Okidi, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Environment catches a light moment with Ms. Margaret Othieno Mwebesa, Uganda’s Climate Change Focal Person at the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNCCC).
On her part, Dr. Rhoda Wanyenze, a Professor and Dean, MakSPH said the School and Makerere University as whole will be working around research, teaching and partnering with various institutions to provide required evidence especially around supporting Uganda to be able to comfortably predict climatic issues, to ensure quality decisions.
Uganda’s National Climate Change Action Plan (2030) show that all sectors of the economy are vulnerable to climate change effects.
Mrs. Margaret Mwebesa Othieno, the Commissioner of Climate Change at the Ministry of Water and Environment said she was happy to have the Ministry of Health coming on board.
“We are very happy to see that sectors are coming on board. I would also like to say that Uganda is the second country to have the Health -National Adaptation Plan after Nepal. So, to us, this huge and I would like to congratulate the Ministry of Health and all other partners that have supported these efforts. Climate change is everybody’s business. We shouldn’t leave it only to a few sectors,” said Mrs. Othieno Mwebesa.
On behalf of the Government of Uganda, Rt. Hon. Nakadama urged all the Development Partners and stakeholders to continue supporting the implementation of the Climate Health National Adaptation Plan both at national and sub-national levels. She committed that her office would spearhead the mobilisation of the population towards climate resilient systems.
“The Office of The Prime Minister will coordinate the multisectoral engagements for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and also create awareness of the Climate Change Health Adaptation Plan,” said Rt. Hon. Nakadama.
The 92nd Guild Ministry of Health is set to host the Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp, a three-day outreach that will bring free and essential medical services to students, staff, and the surrounding community. The camp will run from 17th to 19th September 2026, from 8:00am to 5:00pm each day, at the Freedom Square.
Themed around promoting student wellness for academic excellence, the medical camp is organised under the leadership of Hon. Wamezaya Ebenezer, the Minister of Health in the 92nd Guild Government, in alliance with several partner organisations supporting the university’s health and wellness agenda. The initiative reflects a growing recognition within student leadership circles that academic performance is closely tied to the physical and mental wellbeing of the university community.
Comprehensive Range of Services
The medical camp will offer a wide range of services designed to address both routine and specialised health needs. On the general health side, attendees will have access to general and specialist medical consultations, allowing students, staff, and community members to seek professional advice on a variety of health concerns without the usual costs associated with private or even public healthcare.
A female medical personnel attends to a male client.
Screening services will also be a central feature of the camp. Organisers have confirmed that sickle cell testing, malaria rapid diagnostic testing, and HIV screening will be available on site, giving participants the opportunity to know their status and receive guidance on appropriate next steps. Eye care services and laboratory diagnostics will round up this category, addressing common but often neglected areas of student health.
Beyond diagnostics and consultations, the camp will provide free essential medicines to those who need them, easing the financial burden that often accompanies treatment even after a diagnosis has been made. Reproductive health counseling will also be offered, giving students a confidential space to discuss matters that are frequently overlooked in general campus health conversations. Mental health counseling completes the list of available services, an inclusion that speaks to the increasing attention being paid to psychological wellbeing within the university community.
A Camp Open to the Wider Community
While the camp is organised by the Guild Ministry of Health and centred on student welfare, its reach extends beyond the student body. Organisers have made it clear that the free medical services will be available to students, staff, and members of the whole Makerere community, positioning the event as a broader public health contribution rather than a strictly internal university affair. This inclusive approach mirrors similar outreach efforts previously undertaken by student leadership and university departments, which have sought to position Makerere University not just as a centre of learning but as an active contributor to community welfare in the areas surrounding its campuses.
A male client gets his BMI checked.
Freedom Square, long regarded as the symbolic heart of student activity and expression at Makerere University, was selected as the venue for the three day event. Its central location and historic significance make it an accessible and fitting site for an initiative of this scale, expected to draw considerable numbers of participants over the course of the camp.
Health as a Pillar of Academic Success
The organisers have anchored the medical camp around the message of promoting student wellness for academic excellence, a theme that underscores the connection between health and academic performance. University life often places significant demands on students, both physically and mentally, and untreated health concerns can quietly undermine academic progress long before they become visible crises. By bringing screening, treatment, and counseling services directly to students at no cost, the Guild Ministry of Health is addressing barriers that might otherwise prevent students from seeking care, whether due to cost, distance, or stigma, particularly around mental health and reproductive health matters.
The 91st Guild Minister of Health, Hon. Bbosa Sharif (L) poses by the event banner in the Freedom Square.
The inclusion of mental health counseling alongside more traditional physical health services is particularly notable. It signals an evolving understanding among student leaders that wellness cannot be addressed through physical checkups alone, and that psychological support deserves equal standing within campus health initiatives. Similarly, the presence of reproductive health counseling reflects an effort to normalise conversations that many young people find difficult to initiate on their own.
What to Expect
Over the three days, participants can expect a structured environment at Freedom Square, with separate service points catering to the different categories of care on offer. Medical professionals will be on hand to conduct consultations and screenings, while counselors will provide guidance on reproductive and mental health matters in a setting designed to protect privacy and encourage openness.
Given the scale of services on offer and the open invitation extended to staff and community members in addition to students, organisers anticipate strong turnout throughout the three day period. Those interested in attending are encouraged to plan their visits within the stated hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm to take full advantage of the services available.
H.E. Bbosa Sharif receives female students at the Medical Camp.
For any inquiries regarding the medical camp, members of the university community and the public have been directed to reach out to Hon. Wamezaya Ebenezer, the Minister of Health, through the contact provided by the Guild Ministry of Health.
Building on a Guild Tradition
The Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp is not a new concept within student governance at the university. Successive Guild Ministries of Health have used the medical camp as a recurring platform through which they translate campaign promises around student welfare into visible action. Each edition tends to build on the lessons of the one before it, with organisers typically expanding the range of services offered as new partnerships are secured and as feedback from previous camps is incorporated into planning.
Sickle Cell Screening (Left Tent) was one of the services offered.
This year’s edition, organised under the 92nd Guild Ministry of Health, appears to place particular emphasis on breadth of service, combining preventive screening, curative consultation, and psychosocial support within a single three-day window. The decision to bundle sickle cell testing, malaria and HIV screening alongside eye care and laboratory diagnostics suggests an intention to make the camp a one stop point for health assessment, reducing the need for participants to seek out multiple providers across the city for basic checks they might otherwise postpone indefinitely.
Why Timing Matters
The scheduling of the camp in September places it at a point in the academic calendar when many students are settling back into campus life after recess, a period during which health concerns accumulated over the break, whether physical ailments left unattended or emerging mental health pressures tied to academic anxiety, tend to surface. Offering free consultations and counseling at this juncture allow students to address these concerns early, before they compound into more serious complications that could interfere with coursework, examinations, or general campus participation.
A female medical personnel attends to a female client.
For staff members and residents of the areas surrounding the university, the timing also offers a convenient opportunity to access services that might otherwise require travel to distant health facilities or extended waiting periods within an already strained public health system. In this sense, the camp functions as a modest but meaningful supplement to existing healthcare provision in the vicinity of the university.
As the 17th of September approaches, the Annual Makerere Guild Medical Camp stands as another example of the Guild Ministry of Health stepping beyond the boundaries of policy and advocacy into direct, hands-on service delivery, a model that continues to shape the character of guild ministries at Makerere University. Students, staff, and members of the surrounding community are encouraged to take advantage of the free services on offer and to look out for further communication from the Guild Ministry of Health as the event draws closer.
For more info, reach Hon. Wamezaya on +256784541248
Makerere University School of Public Health, in collaboration with Jhpiego, invites applications for 49 short-term positions under the Scaling the Optimal Use of Multiple ACTs to Prevent Antimalarial Drug Resistance (STOP-AMDR) Project.
The short-term assignments will support data collection in Buikwe and Busia districts, with some national-level activities. Applicants are encouraged to review the requirements for their preferred position before applying.
Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) for Preparedness and Response to Pandemics and Shocks, has shared findings from its study of Uganda’s Mpox response with stakeholders in Kasese, Amuru, Nakasongola and Mayuge districts to strengthen district preparedness for future outbreaks.
The Africa-Europe CoRE is a partnership co-led by MakSPH and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at UCLouvain, Belgium. It brings together universities in Africa and Europe to strengthen research, training and preparedness for pandemics and other public health shocks.
The district-level dissemination meetings, held from 10 to 14 August 2026, brought together more than 100 local government, health and security officials, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and community representatives. The meetings enabled stakeholders to validate the district-level findings, identify practical actions and provide feedback for the study’s final analysis and national dissemination.
Mr. Philliam Jabim shares the Mpox response study findings with participants during the dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Uganda confirmed its first two Mpox cases on 24 July 2024 at Bwera Hospital in Kasese District. The Ministry of Health declared an outbreak on 2 August 2024. As documented in the study, the response involved health workers, communities, local governments, security agencies, political leaders, and implementing partners.
In response to the outbreak, a MakSPH research team led by Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, Dr. Steven Kabwama and Mr. Douglas Bulafu conducted a study in May 2025 to assess Uganda’s Mpox response, including its policies, interventions, strategies and challenges, and generate lessons to inform recovery and strengthen preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Using purposive sampling, the research team conducted 20 key informant interviews and five focus group discussions in each of the four districts, drawing perspectives from western Uganda in Kasese, northern Uganda in Amuru, central Uganda in Nakasongola and eastern Uganda in Mayuge.
Participants and the MakSPH research team at the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
The study, titled Assessment of the Mpox Response in Uganda: Documenting Challenges, Lessons and Innovations to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacities, was funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF).
“This study is helping us move beyond recounting the Mpox response to identifying the actions that districts and national partners can take before the next outbreak. By validating the findings with stakeholders who led and experienced the response, we are ensuring that the evidence reflects local realities and can inform stronger surveillance, risk communication, coordination and community engagement,” said Mr. Bulafu, who led the MakSPH team during the dissemination meeting in Amuru.
Mr. Douglas Bulafu engages participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Amuru District on 10 August 2026.
In Amuru, the 10 August meeting brought together over 25 stakeholders from the district health team, political leadership, security agencies, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and the community. On the same day, a second MakSPH team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, convened stakeholders in Kasese for a parallel validation meeting. The consultations then continued in Nakasongola on 12 August and concluded in Mayuge on 14 August, extending the study’s engagement across all four districts.
Across the districts, stakeholders said the results reflected their experience during the outbreak. They pointed to strengths in leadership, coordination, community engagement and partner support, while also describing gaps in documentation, logistics, diagnostic access, staffing, risk communication, public trust and continuity of essential health services.
They also noted inconsistent implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) 7-1-7 target, which calls for detecting a suspected outbreak within seven days, notifying public health authorities within one day and completing early response actions within seven days.
The MakSPH research team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, with participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Kasese District on 10 August 2026.
In Kasese, stakeholders highlighted gaps in documentation, financial and logistical resources, and human resources. They identified Village Health Teams and grassroots, religious and cultural leaders as important resources for community surveillance and risk communication. They called for stronger collaboration between technical and non-technical leaders, engagement with traditional healers, greater use of local radio for public sensitisation, and better facilitation of district epidemic response teams to reach distant communities.
Amuru participants called for proactive preparedness in the border district, citing misinformation and rumours as barriers to risk communication. They urged timely, accurate information from health workers and other authorities; training in disease surveillance and grant writing to strengthen capacity and resource mobilisation; and compassionate care, psychosocial support and community awareness to reduce stigma and support survivor reintegration.
During the meeting in Nakasongola, stakeholders identified Community Health Workers and Community Health Extension Workers as potential resources for strengthening community surveillance and addressing workforce shortages. Given the district’s position around Lake Kyoga and along the Kampala-South Sudan transit corridor, they also called for stronger documentation, note-taking and reporting, accurate real-time information, closer communication with the Ministry of Health, and collaboration among technical, political, religious and community leaders.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, contributes to the discussion during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, called for a permanent, adequately resourced outbreak-management centre to help protect routine services during future epidemics. “We appeal for better facilities to manage epidemics and outbreaks. At Nakasongola Health Centre IV, spaces previously used for outbreak management have been repurposed for other services, and we have limited staff. During the Mpox response, colleagues assigned to manage patients later returned to the general team, creating fear among staff already under pressure,” she said.
In Mayuge, Dr. Basembeza highlighted leadership, coordination and surveillance structures operating from district to community level as important factors in the response. He said the structures enabled the district to receive and respond quickly to community alerts. “Whenever there is a rumour or an alert, we are able to respond. Within 20 minutes, we had a response because of the structure we have,” Dr. Basembeza said.
Based on the findings, the research team recommends increased preparedness financing, stronger community engagement, decentralised diagnostic services through stronger district laboratory capacity, and improved health information and research systems.
Across the four districts, stakeholders reaffirmed that trusted community structures and coordinated action across sectors are essential to strengthening outbreak preparedness.
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