Health 15 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Scientists Plan Nationwide Strike Over Pharmacist-Only Clause in Drug Bill
Uganda's pharmaceutical scientists threaten a countrywide strike in three months unless Parliament revises Clause 31 of the NDHPA Bill 2025, which restricts drug manufacturing supervision to pharmacists only. The move aims to recognize the roles of other qualified professionals like industrial chemists and microbiologists. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/scientists-threaten-strike-over-pharmacist-only-clause-in-drug-bill-5424936
Scientists represented by the National Union of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacy Workers’ Uganda (NUPAPWU) have issued a warning of a nationwide strike starting in three months if Clause 31 of the National Drugs and Health Products Authority Bill, 2025, is not amended.
This clause exclusively assigns supervision of drug and health product manufacturing to pharmacists, sidelining other experts such as pharmaceutical scientists, industrial chemists, and microbiologists.
In a statement dated April 15, NUPAPWU cited violations of professional scope, job security, and sector inclusion as reasons for the potential action, framing it as a lawful response to an unresolved labor dispute.
NUPAPWU General Secretary Baker Agaba emphasized that the restriction hampers Uganda’s local manufacturing and innovation in health solutions, despite repeated ignored concerns during stakeholder consultations.
Parliament approved the bill on March 26, paving the way for a new authority to regulate medicines, devices, cosmetics, and supplements upon presidential assent. Last month, the group petitioned the President to withhold his signature.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)