Karamoja communities step up to fix health care

What the report says

More than 160 officials, health workers and community representatives gathered in Soroti last week for a regional dialogue on how Karamoja residents can help address persistent health service gaps. The meeting, reported by The Observer, reviewed findings from the third cycle of Community-Led Monitoring, a citizen-feedback process carried out from January to June 2026 across districts including Abim, Amudat, Kotido and Moroto.

The symposium was organized by Doctors with Africa CUAMM, with funding from the Global Fund through the AIDS Support Organization (TASO). Participants discussed community reports on shortages of staff and medicines, long travel distances to facilities, poor roads, sanitation problems, limited emergency equipment and weak accommodation for health workers. The monitoring work covers services such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence response.

Local groups and district officials said the approach is already producing some improvements. In neighbouring Kapelebyong, community feedback was linked to upgrades such as a renovated placenta pit, piped water, a motorcycle for a health centre and new sanitation facilities. Health leaders in Moroto and Kotido said the process helps them understand nomadic movement patterns, strengthen planning and improve accountability. More broadly, the report suggests that involving residents directly can make health services more responsive in hard-to-reach areas.