The Ministry of Health has unveiled a sweeping policy shift that prioritises self-care and disease prevention over hospital-centered treatment, aiming to ease pressure on facilities and build healthier communities across the country.
For decades, Uganda’s health system has largely focused on curative care, emphasizing hospital treatment and medicine availability once illness strikes.
But with nearly 33 million cases treated in health facilities last year alone, in a country of about 46 million people, authorities concluded that many of these conditions could have been avoided through prevention at community level.
“Seventy-six percent of the diseases presented in hospitals are preventable,” said Brenda Nakanwaji from the Ministry’s Community Health Department.
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“Self-care is here to remind people that health begins with them. You don’t always have to go to a facility for services. You can check your blood pressure, monitor your sugar levels, and take responsibility for your own health at home.”
The shift has been formalized in Uganda’s first-ever National Community Health Strategy, which elevates the role of local governments, health assistants, village health teams, and district planners in promoting healthier living.
District leaders are now seen as frontline actors in ensuring preventive practices take root.
In Jinja District, local officials have already adjusted their planning approach.
“At first, the idea of self-care was confusing,” admitted district planner Veronica Nakyetune.
“But with guidance, we found a way to incorporate it into our budget. We began by linking it to HIV funding and then expanded it to other health areas. This year, we are focusing on sensitization, and next year we plan to roll out broader community activities.”
Digital innovation is also being leveraged. The Ministry has developed the Self-Care Uganda App, currently available on Android, offering guidance on family planning, nutrition, HIV management, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), alongside referral options where necessary.
The urgency is underscored by the growing burden of NCDs. “One in four Ugandans has high blood pressure.
Yet many people wait until it is too late to act,” said Dr Charles Olaro, director general of Health Services.
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“Self-care is about taking small but consistent steps–eating well, exercising, seeking care early, and practicing wellness every day.”
Uganda’s pivot is aligned with global health priorities. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued self-care guidelines in 2019 and updated them in 2022.
Uganda quickly became one of the first countries to adapt these, launching a National Self-Care Framework in 2022.
Since then, HIV self-testing, self-injectable contraceptives, and HPV self-sampling have been piloted successfully and are now being scaled up.
At a recent meeting bringing together officials from 12 districts–including Luweero, Kamuli, Jinja, Masindi, and Mukono–alongside stakeholders such as the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, leaders pledged to embed self-care into local health systems.
The Ministry says the long-term goal is not only to reduce hospital congestion but also to accelerate progress toward universal health coverage by empowering Ugandans to take charge of their own well-being.
