Uganda and US ink Shs6.4 trillion health funding deal

Uganda and the United States have signed a significant five-year health cooperation pact, amounting to approximately $1.7 billion (Shs6.42 trillion). The agreement, covering the period from 2026 to 2030, aims to streamline US support for Uganda’s health sector.

This Strategic Objective Agreement (SOAG), inked in Kampala, marks a notable shift towards government-to-government financing. This approach is intended to provide Uganda with greater autonomy in managing and allocating the substantial health assistance.

Finance Minister Henry Musasizi and US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Mikael Cleverley signed the document, implementing a Memorandum of Understanding from December 2025. The funds are earmarked for the prevention, detection, and response to both existing and emerging infectious disease threats.

Minister Musasizi highlighted the agreement as a milestone, acknowledging the US’s long-standing contributions to combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, as well as strengthening disease surveillance and supply chains in Uganda. He emphasized that these interventions have been crucial in saving lives and building the nation’s capacity to handle health emergencies.

While welcoming the direct financing model, which aligns with Uganda’s goal of national ownership, Musasizi also stressed the need for increased domestic funding for sustainable health services. He assured that the government would progressively boost its own financial contributions over the five-year term.

The new framework is designed to bolster Uganda’s overall health systems and institutions, improve accountability, and enhance the country’s ability to plan, finance, and deliver essential health services, moving beyond single disease programs.

Chargé d’Affaires Cleverley expressed the US’s confidence in Uganda’s leadership and its health sector, stating that the government-to-government financing would empower Uganda to take more responsibility for achieving its health outcomes.

Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi also praised the shift from off-budget donor projects to direct government support, noting Uganda’s ongoing challenges with a high burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. He pointed to significant improvements in health indicators, such as reduced HIV prevalence and increased life expectancy, as testaments to the impact of sustained investment.

This partnership underscores Uganda’s efforts to strengthen its health infrastructure and reduce reliance on externally managed programs, while continuing to combat major diseases.

Source: Nile Post