New health client charter, delivery standards to strengthen health service delivery

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The health ministry has launched a new client charter and service delivery standards aimed at improving accountability, service quality and patient experience across Uganda’s health system.

The charter, covering the period 2025/26–2029/30, outlines the standards citizens should expect when seeking care and defines the responsibilities of both health workers and the public.

Speaking at the March 10, 2026, launch at the ministry head office in Wandegeya, Kampala city director general Charles Olaro said the initiative is meant to ensure that every Ugandan receives safe, quality and timely healthcare services.

“This represents our commitment to better service for every Ugandan who seeks care in our health system. Service delivery standards define what quality health services should look like and how they should be delivered across all levels of the health system,” Olaro said.

He added that the standards are intended to guide health workers, managers and institutions while also empowering citizens to understand the level of services they should expect from public health facilities.

According to the director general, the success of the charter will depend on its implementation and collaboration among different stakeholders, including local governments, health professional councils, development partners and frontline health workers.

Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health

“We must not leave these standards on paper. They should guide our daily practice and become part of the culture of service delivery in the health sector,” he said.

He also emphasised the importance of community participation and feedback in improving healthcare services.

“Communities should not just be passive recipients of services but active participants. Feedback from patients should help us identify gaps and improve,” Olaro added.

Bridging the gap

During the launch, ministry permanent secretary Diana Atwine said the charter will help bridge the gap between service providers and patients by clearly defining expectations on both sides.

She noted that Uganda has made progress in several health indicators, including immunisation and maternal health, but said more effort is needed to strengthen service delivery.

“At the Ministry of Health, we are measured by the services we provide to the people and the feedback we receive from them. As a country, we now produce two million babies a year, from 1.2 to five million, and our life expectancy must have increased to 70 years from 64 years, and that's all the hard work this ministry does,” Atwine said.

She highlighted that Uganda now immunises children against 14 diseases, up from six previously, and that over 90 per cent of children are covered through the country’s immunisation programme.

Atwine also said maternal mortality has declined significantly in recent years, with institutional maternal mortality currently standing at about 87 deaths per 100,000 deliveries.

Despite the progress, she acknowledged persistent challenges such as long waiting times in health facilities and shortages of health workers.

“To provide quality healthcare, patients should not spend hours waiting in queues without seeing a medical worker,” she said.

Recruitment of health workers

Atwine revealed that the Government has allocated additional resources in the upcoming financial year to recruit more health workers in order to address staffing gaps and improve service delivery.

“We believe that increasing the number of health workers will reduce waiting times and improve the quality of care,” she said.

She also called for a change in mindset among health workers and emphasised that the charter should guide everyday operations across the health sector.

“What makes the difference in achieving excellence is a change in mindset. These commitments must move beyond documents and translate into action,” Atwine said.

Improving performance

Meanwhile, deputy head of Public Service Jane Kyalisima Mwesiga responsible for performance and service delivery across the public service, including ministries, departments, agencies, local governments and other public institutions, said the charter is part of broader government efforts to improve performance and accountability in public service delivery.

She described the document as a social contract between government institutions and citizens.

“A client charter places citizens at the centre of public service delivery and defines the standards they should expect,” Mwesiga said.

She added that the government will soon begin measuring client satisfaction as part of performance assessments for permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies.

“In the coming financial year, we intend to introduce indicators that measure citizen satisfaction so that institutions are held accountable for the services they promise to deliver,” she said.

Mwesiga also revealed that a rapid assessment of the health sector conducted with the Makerere University School of Public Health identified challenges such as weak supervision, staffing shortages and inefficiencies in the referral system.

She said the findings will help government develop practical solutions to improve healthcare delivery.

“The real success of this charter will not be measured by the quality of the document but by visible improvements in the experiences of patients who rely on our health services,” Mwesiga said.