'Uganda now records about 2 million births annually'
“As a country, we are now delivering about two million babies every year, and this shows that our health system is serving more people than ever before,” she said, also pointing out significant progress in improving health indicators over the past decade, including expanding immunisation and reducing maternal deaths.
The country’s birth rate remains high at approximately 35 to 40 births per 1,000 people, underscoring the continued pressure on health services as the population grows.
Uganda is now recording about two million births every year, a figure health officials say highlights both progress in maternal care and the growing pressure on the country’s health system.
The Ministry of Health revealed the statistics during the launch of the Client Charter and Service Delivery Standards for 2025/26–2029/30 on Tuesday (March 10), a new framework aimed at improving accountability, patient care and service delivery across the country.
Speaking at the launch at the ministry headquarters in Wandegeya, permanent secretary Dr Diana Atwine said the rising number of births reflects improvements in access to health services and underscores the need to strengthen the health system.
“As a country, we are now delivering about two million babies every year, and this shows that our health system is serving more people than ever before,” she said, also pointing out significant progress in improving health indicators over the past decade, including expanding immunisation and reducing maternal deaths.
Previously, Uganda would record an estimated 1.7 million births annually, with a fertility rate of 5.2 children per woman, reflecting a slight decline from 5.4.
The country’s birth rate remains high at approximately 35 to 40 births per 1,000 people, underscoring the continued pressure on health services as the population grows.
According to Atwine, the number of diseases children are immunised against has increased from six to 14 vaccine-preventable diseases, with more than 90 per cent of children now receiving routine immunisation.
“We take pride in our immunisation programme, which ensures that the majority of children in the country are protected against preventable diseases,” she said.
Maternal mortality has declined significantly in recent years, with institutional maternal deaths now standing at about 87 per 100,000 deliveries.
However, challenges such as shortages in medical personnel remain.
“To talk about quality healthcare, patients should not spend hours waiting in queues without seeing a medical worker,” said the PS, who revealed that the government has allocated additional resources in the upcoming financial year to recruit more health workers to reduce staffing gaps and improve service delivery.
'Daily practice guide'
The newly launched Client Charter outlines the responsibilities of both health workers and citizens, setting clear standards for the level of care patients should expect from public health facilities.
It is intended to guide how healthcare services are delivered across all levels of the health system.
“These service delivery standards define what quality healthcare should look like and how it should be delivered across the country,” said Dr Charles Olaro, the director general of health services.
The charter is designed to help health workers, hospital managers and institutions understand the expectations placed on them, while also empowering citizens to know the standards of care they should receive.
“The success of this charter will depend on how effectively it is implemented. It should not remain a document on paper but guide our daily practice,” said Olaro, also emphasising the need for stronger community participation.
“Communities should not only receive services but also participate actively by giving feedback that helps us improve."
Meanwhile, the deputy head of public service in charge of performance and service delivery, Dr Jane Kyarisiima Mwesiga, said the charter represents a major step toward improving accountability across government institutions.
She described the document as a “social contract” between government and citizens.
“A client charter places citizens at the centre of public service delivery and defines the standards they should expect from government institutions."
Mwesiga, the government will begin measuring the performance of ministries and public agencies based on citizen satisfaction with the services they provide.
“In the coming financial year, we plan to introduce indicators that measure citizen satisfaction so that institutions are held accountable for the services they promise."
The health ministry said the charter aligns with Uganda’s broader development plans, including the National Development Plan IV and Vision 2040, and is expected to strengthen accountability and service delivery in the health sector over the next five years.