Ugandans' life expectancy rises, maternal deaths drop

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Uganda has registered major improvements in public health over the past decades.

Policy reforms have largely driven this, including investment in specialised hospitals and units, the strategic use of technology, expanded emergency services and stronger disease surveillance systems, according to health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng.

While presenting the health sector’s performance at the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party secretariat on December 22, 2025, Aceng told journalists that the country’s health outcomes show “significant progress” as a result of deliberate reforms and partnerships.

“Our life expectancy increased from 63.7 years in 2014 to 68.2 years in 2024,” Aceng said, pointing to broader gains in survival and quality of life.

Aceng, accompanied by party deputy secretary general Rose Namayanja and other ministry officials, highlighted maternal health as one of the most notable areas of improvement in Uganda’s healthcare system.

She revealed that the maternal mortality ratio reduced by 44 per cent, dropping from 336 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016 to 189 per 100,000 in 2022. 

“The United Nations (UN) put us at 70 per 100,000 live births in 2024. You can see that steep reduction,” she added.

Ministry statistics also indicate that under-five mortality declined by 18.5 per cent, from 64 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2016 to 52 per 1,000 in 2022.

Immunisation coverage has also remained high, with DPT (Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine, which is the measure for vaccination coverage, sustained above 90 per cent since 2019, 2020.

In addition, Aceng said antenatal care attendance has improved, with four-visit coverage rising from 48 per cent in 2016 to 68 per cent in 2022.

The HIV treatment coverage has expanded sharply, increasing from 60 per cent to 97 per cent by 2023-2024, while effective tuberculosis treatment rose from 40 per cent in 2019 to 91.3 per cent in 2024.

“Uganda’s health system has shown significant resilience against disease outbreaks in terms of preparedness, detection and rapid response,” Aceng said.

Cross-sector collaboration needed

However, she noted the continued need for stronger cross-sector collaboration.

According to the minister, these achievements are rooted in a strong emphasis on prevention.

“A larger part of our focus is on prevention and promotion because that is where the impact is. Diseases start in the communities and end in the communities,” she added.

Specialised referral hospitals

Aceng said the NRM government has invested heavily in clinical services, particularly super-specialised referral hospitals, thus reducing the need for patients to seek treatment abroad.

She highlighted the transformation of Mulago Specialised Hospital into a centre offering organ transplants, neurological services, dialysis, intensive care and advanced surgery.

She noted that the Uganda Cancer Institute now treats over 8,000 new patients annually and sees over 450 outpatients daily, supported by regional centres in Gulu and Mbarara.

She noted that the construction is ongoing for a 350-bed cancer facility that will include a bone marrow transplant unit and advanced imaging services, as the government works toward establishing cancer centres in all 18 regions.

Specialised care has also expanded through the Uganda Heart Institute, which Aceng said has helped reduce referrals abroad to below 10 per cent.

She revealed that the institute is set to expand further, including the construction of regional centres starting next year.

She said maternal and neonatal services have also been strengthened at Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital, which began offering in vitro fertilisation in August 2024 and has already recorded 11 successful IVF pregnancies.

She stressed that Entebbe Surgical Children’s Hospital has provided free surgical care to more than 35,000 children since opening in 2022.

Ambulance coverage

Aceng also noted that ambulance coverage at the county level increased from just two per cent in 2015-2016 to 64 per cent in 2024–2025, supported by a national fleet of 450 ambulances, including intensive care and marine units.

She said maternal and new-born emergencies account for 66 per cent of ambulance transfers, contributing to the decline in maternal and neonatal deaths.

She said the Government has also invested heavily in laboratories and disease surveillance, stressing that funding for laboratory services rose from shillings 11 billion in 2015 to 84 billion in 2024, with a total investment including partners, nearing 200 billion.

She said the country now operates World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised public health laboratories, mobile labs, and five centres of excellence, strengthening global health security.

“Uganda is recognised for its resilience in handling disease outbreaks and also ensuring that not only Uganda is safe, but the entire world is safe,” Aceng said.

The minister said the Government remains committed to expanding health infrastructure, staffing and emergency response systems to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare across all regions.

Strengthening local health systems

She further noted that the Government has also built a comprehensive local health security system to prevent, detect, and respond to disease outbreaks in communities.

“When we talk about local health security, this is controlling epidemics, pandemics, or disease outbreaks. Uganda has built a very robust system over the years, starting from the grassroots, from our communities,” Aceng said.

She stressed that the country’s system relies heavily on Village Health Teams and community health extension workers, who are trained in disease surveillance. Equipped with digital tools such as iPads linked to the Community Health Information System, the minister noted that these frontline workers report unusual events directly to district authorities and the Ministry of Health.

The minister added that the country operates 17 regional emergency operation centres, which monitor all districts daily through a central dashboard.

Aceng said over 400 epidemiologists have been trained to reach 200 epidemiologists per 100,000 population to ensure readiness across the country.

“Given that we live in the Congo Basin and our tropical rainforests make us prone to disease outbreaks, we need to be prepared at all times. We have set up specialised isolation and treatment units in hospitals, including in Kampala at Mulago and Entebbe, as well as other regional referral hospitals,” she explained.

She stressed that when unusual health events are reported, emergency response teams are deployed immediately to investigate, collect samples, and either use mobile laboratories or transport samples to reference labs.

“Once a threat is detected, response procedures are initiated without delay,” she added.

Aceng said Uganda’s global recognition is for its outbreak management systems.

“Uganda has one of the best systems in the world for detecting and managing outbreaks,” she said, noting that the country was ranked among the top 10 best-performing nations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Namayanja urged Ugandans to back President Yoweri Museveni, saying public support is crucial to safeguarding the country’s health achievements and other developmental gains.