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 Makerere University School of Public Health 2025 Annual Report documents a defining year in the School’s institutional journey. Effective January 2025, MakSPH attained stand-alone status within Makerere University, recognising seven decades of growth in public health training, research, policy engagement and community service. The transition gives the School greater focus and institutional agility to respond to Uganda’s and Africa’s evolving health priorities.
During the 2024/2025 academic year, MakSPH had more than 1,000 students across 12 degree programmes and different years of study. It presented 269 graduands at Makerere University’s 75th Graduation Ceremony, more than 80 per cent at graduate level, while 12 doctoral candidates successfully defended their studies. Training remained closely connected to practice through eight district field-training sites and student participation in outbreak response, disease surveillance and community-based public health action.
The School produced more than 350 peer-reviewed publications. Its evidence informed national and global action across HIV, tuberculosis, maternal and newborn health, antimicrobial resistance, health systems, climate change, urban health, injuries and noncommunicable diseases. MakSPH’s contribution to the PURPOSE 1 trial supported evidence showing more than 99 per cent protection from twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir, while locally led programmes expanded HIV screening, prevention and referral services for underserved populations.
This work was sustained through partnerships with government, communities, funders, universities and implementation agencies. MakSPH’s research and training network extended across more than 35 African countries, while longstanding collaborations were renewed and new institutional relationships established. Strong research governance, unqualified audits and positive due-diligence assessments continued to reinforce partner confidence in the School’s ability to manage complex national and multi-country programmes with accountability.
Construction of the new MakSPH building on Makerere University Main Campus advanced during 2025, with completion targeted for 2026. Designed as a modern public health hub, the facility will expand teaching and specialised laboratory space, strengthen digital learning and research, and provide improved environments for students, faculty, innovation and collaboration.
These achievements reflect the shared contribution of faculty, staff, students and partners. Guided by its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, MakSPH remains committed to training public health leaders, generating evidence that informs policy and practice, strengthening health systems and improving health in Uganda, across Africa and beyond.
The post holder will be required to provide nursing care to patients attending IDC, provide health education and advise to patients and their family members, provide translation whenever necessary, guide in clinical practice and duties of other nurses. Participate in clinical research studies.
Key Responsibilities
Provides nursing care to patients attending the IDC
To provide clinical care including triaging, clinical assessment of patients of patient’s problems, investigations to HIV/AIDS patients attending IDI-supported health facilities in line with standard treatment guidelines.
Assist in management of very sick patients brought in Urgent care with knowledge, skills and Support appropriate referral of complex patients’ through liaison with immediate team members, senior clinicians and other specialized facilities.
Lead education and facility sensitization efforts to continuously build knowledge among clients and the attendants at Urgent care and the general clinic.
Participate in identification, implementation and documentation of continuous quality improvement activities along client care and treatment.
Assists medical doctors in carrying out clinical procedures.
Provides translation services to visiting medical doctors as required
Ensures patient flow in the clinic ( IDC)
Performs quality assurance and quality control (QA/AC) to ensure completeness of source documents.
Participates in giving Medicines when required.
Checks medical supply stock and ensures procedure charts are fully equipped
Guides the clinical practice and duties of other nursing staff
Participates as a full member of the IDC health care team
Attends clinic staff meetings on a daily basis as available
Participate whenever requested to do so in clinic research studies.
Participate in compilation and submission of accurate activity reports according to the set guidelines.
This job description is not exhaustive and the post holder will need to be flexible and to undertake such other duties as may become necessary with the development of the Infectious Diseases Institute.
Academic Qualifications
Diploma or Bachelors Degree in Nursing
Full and active registration with the Uganda Nurses and Midwives council (Valid general practice license).
Person Specification
Completion of Nurses Training in a recognized educational institution with Diploma/ Bachelors
Minimum of 3 years work experience in a clinical setting
Full and active registration with the Uganda Nurses and Midwives council (Valid general practice license).
Self- motivated and capable of meeting deadlines.
Excellent communication skills.
Good interpersonal skills and able to interact productively with other team members.
More details
Job Code: NPCT001 No of Positions: 1 Station: IDI-Mulago Classification: Full-time Duration: 1 Months Reports to: NURSE TEAM LEAD Posted Date: 2026-07-06 09:06:27.000 Closing Date: 2026-07-19 17:00:00.000
Across Kampala, families use saucepans, cooking pots, frying pans, kettles, and pressure cookers every day. Makerere University School of Public Health is now investigating whether some of these items may expose households to lead, a toxic heavy metal that can enter food during cooking if contaminated materials are used to make them.
The year-long study, titled “Assessment of Lead Contamination in Domestic Cookware, Supply Chains, and Exposure Pathways in Informal Settlements of Kampala,” was launched on 11 June 2026 at MakSPH’s ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) in Kololo. Supported through the Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP), with funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, and led by Mr. Douglas Bulafu, Mr. Tom Okade, and Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, the study will assess total and leachable lead levels in commonly used cookware, map how the products are sourced, distributed, and sold, and identify feasible interventions to reduce household exposure to lead.
Ms. Prossy Nabaggala, Senior Standards Officer at the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, pictured centre, consults with study co-investigators Mr. Tom Okade and Mr. Douglas Bulafu during the launch of MakSPH’s study on possible lead exposure from domestic cookware in Kampala.
Today, lead remains a major and preventable public health concern globally. WHO reports that no level of exposure is known to be without harmful effects and estimates that lead exposure contributes to more than 3.5 million deaths worldwide, mainly through cardiovascular effects. Children and women of child-bearing age are said to be especially vulnerable, with exposure linked to impaired brain development, reduced learning ability, harm to unborn children, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and kidney damage.
In Uganda, lead exposure concerns also extend to household products and informal markets. Aluminium pots and saucepans, particularly low-cost locally fabricated items, may be made from recycled scrap metal. If contaminated materials are used, lead may leach into food during cooking or other food-contact use, creating a possible route of exposure in homes.
During the launch, Assoc. Prof. David Musoke, Head of MakSPH’s Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, underscored the importance of involving stakeholders throughout the research process. He said engaging stakeholders from the generation of research ideas to implementation and dissemination helps ensure findings do not remain within the University but are translated into evidence that can inform policy, practice, and community action.
“We engage with stakeholders throughout the research process, from developing ideas and designing projects to implementation and dissemination,” Dr. Musoke noted. “I am pleased that this workshop brings together policymakers, the Ministry of Health, non-governmental organisations, Kampala Capital City Authority, academia, staff and students. This helps ensure that research findings do not remain at the University but are beneficial to our stakeholders.”
Assoc. Prof. David Musoke delivers remarks during the study launch, emphasising sustained stakeholder engagement to ensure research findings inform policy, practice and community action.
He observed that the study was timely, as it addresses an important yet under-examined public health concern, arguing that while lead exposure from paint, pipes and drinking water has received considerable attention, exposure through cookware remains less understood despite its widespread use in many households. He added that the new research builds on MakSPH’s broader work in disease control and environmental health and will generate critical evidence to inform action on lead exposure risks in Uganda. Dr. Musoke also commended the study team for initiating this work.
Previously, MakSPH researchers Mr. Abdullah Ali Halage, Mr. Tom Okade, Dr. James Muleme and Dr. Juliet Kiguli, together with Mr. Ahmada Zziwa and Mr. Robert Mugabi, assessed knowledge, perceptions and practices related to heavy metal contamination and health risks among residents living near Kiteezi in Kampala, Katikolo in Mukono and Nkumba in Entebbe. The study, done in 2024, reached 505 residents and captured community and frontline perspectives from people living and working around the dumpsites. It showed how daily contact with dumpsite environments may expose communities to toxic heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury through soil, water, air, food crops, animal products and waste-handling practices.
Evidence from the study, funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund (MakRIF) and disseminated on 26 June 2025, showed that heavy metal exposure risks around the three municipal dumpsites within the Kampala Metropolitan Area were shaped by both environmental conditions and community behaviour.
Dr. Sabrina Kitaka, Member of the MakRIF Grant Management Committee, pictured centre, with research team members including Mr. Abdullah Ali Halage, Mr. Tom Okade and Dr. Juliet Kiguli, following the dissemination of findings on heavy metal exposure risks around Kampala Metropolitan dumpsites on 26 June 2025.
Although residents lived near dumpsites where waste can release heavy metals into soil, water and food chains, 76.4 per cent could not define heavy metals, and only 45.9 per cent had adequate knowledge of contamination and related health risks. Gaps extended to daily exposure pathways, with 38.4 per cent unaware that vegetables grown near dumpsites may contain high heavy metal levels and 39.8 per cent unaware that milk or meat from animals grazed near dumpsites may also be contaminated. More than half viewed dumpsite soils as fertile, 50.7 per cent considered such milk safe, and 51.3 per cent believed dumpsite waste could be used as manure.
The study recommended stronger risk communication, environmental monitoring, safer land-use enforcement and community education. The work on lead in domestic cookware now extends this focus from dumpsite-related heavy metal exposure to a possible household pathway. Mr. Douglas Bulafu, an early-career researcher and Principal Investigator of the study, said the team will examine whether commonly used cooking pots, saucepans and related utensils contribute to exposure, and generate evidence to guide safer cookware use, standards and market oversight.
“Lead contamination has been documented from sources such as paint, fuel and air pollution, but less attention has been given to cookware as a potential pathway of exposure. That is the gap this study seeks to address,” Mr. Bulafu said. “We focused on Kampala because it has many informal settlements, small-scale cookware workshops and a large consumer market where low-cost cookware is widely produced, sold and used. When people buy these products, they often do not know where they were made, what materials were used, or whether they contain lead. The supply chains are also poorly understood, meaning households could be exposed without knowing.”
Mr. Douglas Bulafu, Principal Investigator, speaks during the launch of the MakSPH study on possible lead exposure from domestic cookware in Kampala, highlighting the need for evidence to guide safer cookware use, standards and market oversight.
The study will use a cross-sectional, mixed-methods design to connect laboratory evidence with supply-chain realities in Kampala’s informal settlements. The team will purchase about 100 cookware samples from open-air markets, roadside vendors, retail shops and supermarkets in Kisenyi, Katanga, Bwaise, Namuwongo, Banda and Kasubi, test them for total and leachable lead, and conduct about 30 key informant interviews across the supply chain to understand how cookware is sourced, produced, distributed and used.
Findings will be validated with stakeholders and used to identify feasible interventions, including stronger regulation and enforcement, raw-material control, better manufacturing practices, market surveillance and consumer awareness. The evidence is expected to support standards development, product testing, policy uptake, safer manufacturing practices and public guidance on cookware choices, helping reduce household exposure to lead and associated health risks.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Didacus Namanya, a health geographer and environmental health expert, welcomed the study, saying scientific evidence on lead exposure is critical because public health decisions can have lasting consequences for life and wellbeing.
Dr. Namanya implored the research team to ensure the evidence from the study informs decisions beyond academia, shaping policy, strengthening public health practice and guiding practical measures to reduce lead exposure in communities. He emphasised that research should not remain in the “ivory tower” but reach decision-makers and the public, so that evidence from the study translates into policy, practice and stronger protection for communities.
Dr. Didacus Namanya, speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Health, delivers remarks during the study launch on 11 June 2026, urging the research team to ensure evidence on lead exposure informs policy, practice and practical community protection measures.
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