Lango’s 10-Fold Growth Dream Hinges on a Stronger Health System

What the report says

Leaders in Uganda’s Lango sub-region are being urged to use the upcoming 2026 Regional Health Assembly to address uneven health performance, improve accountability and strengthen referrals for patients needing specialist care. According to Dokolo Post, the discussion involves officials from Lira Regional Referral Hospital, district health offices and local administration in Lira City.

Lira Regional Referral Hospital Senior Executive Consultant Dr. Andrew Odur said the meeting should move beyond reviewing numbers and produce practical fixes for long-running gaps in healthcare delivery. He pointed to issues such as maternal and child health outcomes, infectious and chronic disease management, staffing shortages and broader health-system performance. He also noted that regional reviews have previously helped some lower-performing districts improve through technical support and closer monitoring.

The report says Dr. Odur and other speakers linked better health services to wider development goals, including the Government’s National Development Plan IV and its 10-fold growth strategy. Public Health Consultant Dr. Ronald Misinde said the review mission will examine district performance and identify interventions to keep the population healthy and productive. Lira District Assistant District Health Officer Dr. Edimon Acheka said peer-learning sessions and maternal and neonatal death reviews have contributed to falling deaths, though staffing shortages remain a major concern.

Lira Resident City Commissioner Lawrence Emmy Egole called for tighter control of medicines, reduced absenteeism and faster referrals to protect patients. The assembly, themed around readiness for sustainable growth, is set for September 8 to 9 at Gracious Palace Hotel in Lira City and will bring together stakeholders from nine districts and one city in Lango.