Uganda Reaches Only 11% of People in Need of Palliative Care

What the report says

Uganda’s Ministry of Health says about 500,000 people in the country need palliative care, but only around 11% are currently reached by existing services. The Nile Post report says the shortfall reflects ongoing problems in the health system, including too few trained providers, limited access to pain relief medicines and gaps in pain management for patients with serious illnesses.

The issue was highlighted during the commemoration of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2026, where Dr Ronie Bahatungire, acting commissioner for health services in the Ministry’s Department of Clinical Services, said Uganda has made some progress but still faces major challenges in ensuring patients receive appropriate support. He stressed that serious diagnoses should not mean abandonment and said care should not depend on a person’s age, poverty, disability or place of residence.

Palliative care is meant to ease suffering from serious illness by addressing pain as well as psychological, social and spiritual needs, and it can be provided alongside curative treatment. The article notes that organisations such as Hospice Africa Uganda, Kawempe Home Care, Lweza Community Health Programme, Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja and New Life Hospice Arua have helped widen access, including in underserved areas.

Stakeholders at a Palliative Care Association of Uganda webinar called for stronger coordination among government, health workers, communities, faith groups, civil society and development partners. The broader concern is that without a larger workforce and better integration of palliative care into routine and community-based services, many Ugandans with life-limiting or severe conditions may continue to go without adequate relief and support.