The Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV/AIDS (UGANET) has sounded the alarm over severe funding shortfalls for HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria in Uganda’s 2025/26 national budget.
While the overall health sector budget has nearly doubled from UGX 2.946 trillion to UGX 5.87 trillion, critical disease programs remain heavily dependent on external funding, with over 78% of financing still coming from donors. The situation has grown more precarious following the recent USAID funding freeze.
“This is not just a financial issue—it’s a human rights imperative,” UGANET said, referencing Uganda’s constitutional and international obligations under the Banjul Protocol to guarantee equitable access to healthcare.
A recent UGANET survey, conducted between January and March 2025, shows the devastating impact of the USAID funding freeze on HIV care. Stockouts of antiretrovirals — especially third-line drugs — are increasing, while specialized HIV clinics have been dismantled, pushing patients into overstretched general outpatient departments. HIV prevalence stands at 5.1% (about 1.4 million people), with antiretroviral coverage at 89%, still below UNAIDS targets.
“89% of respondents reported rising stigma; nearly 74% experienced discrimination as privacy and trained staff disappeared from HIV care,” UGANET reports.
Uganda faces an estimated UGX 423 billion gap in its HIV response alone. Meanwhile, TB continues to kill 30 people daily, or 96,000 new cases and 11,000 deaths annually, with a UGX 60.2 billion funding shortfall undermining timely diagnosis and treatment. Malaria remains Uganda’s biggest killer with up to 19,600 deaths reported last year, mainly among children under five with up to 19 million cases yearly and a shortfall of UGX 121 billion.
Official government figures allocate UGX 116.8 billion for ARVs, UGX 100 billion for essential medicines, UGX 2.9 billion for anti-malarials, UGX 17.8 billion for immunization supplies, UGX 52.3 billion for laboratory supplies, and UGX 2.1 billion for TB drugs—amounts UGANET says are insufficient to meet rising needs.
“Uganda’s progress must be judged not only by numbers, but by whether it protects the dignity and rights of all patients,” UGANET emphasized.
The organization urges the government to strengthen domestic financing, reinstate the National Health Insurance Scheme, invest in community-led services, integrate care delivery, boost health worker numbers, and secure drug supplies — all essential to prevent backsliding in the face of shrinking donor support.
