Why Uganda’s growing GDP must mean growing health investment

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OPINION

By Ruth Akulu

“Every $1 invested in health returns $2 to $4.” This powerful statement comes from a report by the McKinsey Global Institute called “Prioritising Health: A Prescription for Prosperity.”

It shows that when a country puts money into health, it doesn’t just save lives, it actually grows the economy. For every shilling spent, the return is two to four times more. Big organisations like the World Bank, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and The Lancet agree with this statement that investing in health is one of the smartest moves a country can make.

In Uganda, this is important. We have one of the youngest populations in the world, of about 10.4 million young people aged 18 - 30, according to the 2024 National Census. Our economy is also growing. Uganda recorded a 5.2% growth rate in the 2022/23 financial year, as reported by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. But despite this, our country still struggles with diseases that can be prevented like malaria, HIV, tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases, which account for 75% of the disease burden (National Medical Stores).

The biggest million-dollar question is “If our economy is growing, why are we still spending so little on health?” GDP, which stands for Gross Domestic Product, is a way of measuring how much money a country makes from everything it produces in a year. This includes farming, trade, services, and more. In 2022, Uganda’s GDP was $45.57b. By 2023, it had grown to $48.77b. That’s a good sign. It means we’re earning more as a country.

But just because the country is making more money doesn’t mean every Ugandan is seeing the benefits. That is where GDP per capita comes in to tell us how much of that total money is available, on average, for each person. For Uganda, that number is only $1,002 per person per year. That’s not enough to cover basic health needs.

Uganda currently spends only $6–$10 per person on health each year. The WHO recommends at least $86 per person to make sure everyone has access to basic health services. That’s a huge gap. Because investing in health is not just about hospitals or medicine, it’s about productivity, opportunity, and our future. When people are healthy, they can go to school, work, grow food, run businesses, and take care of their families. But when they’re sick, especially in a country like Uganda where many people rely on their own labor to earn a living, everything stops.

For example, preventing HIV and malaria doesn’t just save lives, it helps people stay active, productive, and financially stable. The WHO even found that controlling malaria can boost a country’s GDP by 1.3% every year in countries like Uganda. So yes, Uganda’s economy is growing, but we need that growth to mean something real for the people, especially the young population. We need that growth to show up in our health budget. Right now, our health system still relies heavily on donors. That is risky, especially as funding from partners like USAID being suspended.

If we want to take charge of our future, we have to start investing in ourselves. That means increasing domestic health financing, building stronger systems, and focusing on prevention, like making HIV prevention tools, such as PrEP, widely available.

Imagine if everyone had access to tools that stopped HIV before infection. Imagine fewer people needing lifelong treatment. Imagine what that would save not just in money, but in energy, time, and dreams. Uganda’s rising GDP gives us a chance to take control of our health. But that only happens if we make smart, intentional choices. Health must be at the center of our national priorities. It’s not just a cost, it’s an investment in everything we hope to build. The time to prioritize health is now.

The writer is an HIV prevention advocate with a professional background in economics and trade policy