Health 21 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Ugandan MPs Urge Greater Health Sector Investment Amid Cancer and Emergency Care Gaps
Outgoing and incoming MPs in Uganda are pressing the government to ramp up health sector funding to address critical shortages in cancer treatment and emergency services. They highlighted late diagnoses, rural access barriers, and weak referral systems during a key dialogue in Kampala. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/mps-ask-govt-to-boost-investment-in-uganda-s-health-sector--5431736
Members of Parliament, both outgoing and incoming, have urged the government to significantly increase investment in Uganda’s health sector. This call arises as the 11th Parliament concludes and the 12th prepares to assume office, amid ongoing challenges in delivering quality healthcare nationwide.
Kabale Municipality MP Nicholas Kamara emphasized the urgent need for more specialized cancer centers beyond Kampala. He noted that early-stage patients can survive over 20 years with proper care, but late diagnoses—often stage three or four—lead to survival times of just one to two years, exacerbated by fear, reliance on traditional healers, and travel difficulties for rural patients.
“Many from remote areas turn to witch doctors or fail to reach facilities past Mbarara,” Kamara stated, advocating for decentralized services to cut cancer deaths.
Older Persons MP Peggy Joy Waako shared a personal ordeal, describing a diabetic emergency during a 2022 parliamentary retreat in Kyankwanzi. She required visits to two hospitals before stabilizing, underscoring flaws in emergency response and referral pathways.
These concerns emerged at a Kampala dialogue hosted by the Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) at Four Points by Sheraton. The event, themed around parliamentary health commitments and the 12th Parliament’s agenda, gathered MPs and health experts.
CEHURD’s deputy executive director Noor Nakabuuka praised Parliament’s health reform efforts and international learning trips. However, an MP from Nakasongola District criticized over-centralized reporting to the Head of State, warning it prioritizes pleasing authorities over citizen service.
Ministry of Health figures show Uganda with roughly 6,940 facilities—45% government-run, 15% private not-for-profit, and 40% private for-profit—yet lawmakers insist on network expansion for better access.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)