Uganda has recorded a significant decline in new malaria and HIV infections, alongside improvements in tuberculosis treatment success and maternal health indicators, according to the annual health sub-programme performance report for the 2025/26 financial year.
Key Gains in Disease Control
Malaria incidence fell from 261 to 223 cases per 1,000 people, while HIV incidence dropped from 1.23 to 0.71 per 1,000 people. The tuberculosis treatment success rate increased from 86% to 92%, and viral suppression among people living with HIV reached 97%. Retention on antiretroviral therapy (ART) also improved to 83%.
Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi launched the report on November 4, 2026, at Speke Resort Hotel in Munyonyo. The report assesses health sector performance and highlights gains in immunisation, access to health services, sanitation, and health facility readiness.
Maternal and Child Health Progress
Facility-based deliveries increased from 1.49 million to 1.69 million, with Health Centre IIIs and IVs accounting for 69% of births recorded in health facilities. The Service Availability and Readiness Index, which measures health facilities' capacity to provide essential services, improved from 49% to 59%.
The institutional maternal mortality ratio declined from 83 to 61.7 deaths per 100,000 deliveries, while the institutional perinatal mortality rate fell from 15.4 to 13.7 deaths per 1,000 deliveries.
Challenges Remain
Despite these gains, health financing, staffing, and access to some essential services remained major challenges. The availability of essential medicines improved, with the proportion of facilities meeting tracer medicine requirements rising from 22% to 42%.
The electronic Community Health Information System (eCHIS), a digital platform that enables community health workers to capture and report household and patient information, expanded from 24 to 56 districts. Electronic medical records also expanded from 56 to 138 public health facilities.
The report underscores the need for sustained investment in health financing and human resources to maintain and further improve health outcomes.
