Uganda: Ugandan Council Hasn't Approved 'Dr' Title for All Registered Nurses

What the report says

Africa Check reported that a Facebook notice claiming Uganda’s nurses regulator had approved the honorific “Dr” for all registered nurses is false. The article said the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council, or UNMC, publicly rejected the notice on 3 November 2026 through its official X account and called it fabricated.

The disputed notice said the change would recognize nurses’ professional status and even gave an example format for a nurse’s name. But Africa Check said the document also appeared to misstate the law behind the council. The report pointed to Uganda’s Nurses and Midwives Act, which sets out the titles “Registered Nurse” and “Registered Midwife” for those who are registered.

According to the article, the law does not give nurses the title “Dr” simply because they are registered, and it does not allow nursing registration to confer medical-practitioner status. Africa Check noted that nurses with doctoral-level qualifications may use the title in the usual academic sense, but that is different from a blanket approval for all registered nurses.

The finding matters because the claim spread widely on social media and could mislead the public about professional titles and health-sector regulation in Uganda. Africa Check’s report was published from Johannesburg and focused on verifying the notice against the council’s response and the relevant law.