The government will next week launch a comprehensive policy aimed at transforming Uganda’s health training system and addressing longstanding shortages of skilled medical personnel.
The Ministry of Education and Sports, working with the Ministry of Health, said the National Education and Training for Health Policy, 2025 will be officially rolled out on April 29 at the Source of the Nile Hotel.
The launch will be officiated by Janet Kataaha Museveni, and is expected to draw senior government officials, Members of Parliament, heads of health institutions, and development partners.
The policy comes amid growing concern over critical gaps in Uganda’s health workforce, both in numbers and skills.
According to government data, Uganda had only about 28,000 skilled health workers as of 2019, far below what is required to meet national demand. The World Health Organization recommends at least 4.45 health workers per 1,000 people, while Uganda’s doctor-to-patient ratio stands at approximately 1:25,000 — significantly lower than the recommended 1:1,000.
Officials say the shortfall has been compounded by outdated curricula, weak regulation of training institutions, limited specialised trainers and gaps in internship management.
“The country continues to face significant gaps in both the numbers and the skills mix of its health professionals,” the ministry said in the statement.
The new policy introduces wide-ranging reforms targeting the full training cycle of health professionals, from admission to lifelong practice. Government plans to standardise entry requirements, examinations, and certification across all health training institutions, while expanding enrolment in specialised fields.
“Ugandans can expect tangible reforms in how health professionals are admitted, trained, assessed, supervised, and continuously developed,” the ministry said.
It also seeks to improve the quality of training facilities through investment in modern skills laboratories, simulation centres, and digital learning infrastructure, as well as to strengthen supervision during internships and clinical practice.
A national Health Training Management Information System will be established to improve planning and oversight, while emerging areas such as artificial intelligence in healthcare training and the regulation of traditional medicine will be incorporated.
Education officials said the reforms are designed to produce “competent, ethical and practice-ready health workers capable of meeting the country’s evolving healthcare needs.”
The policy will be implemented under the government’s Human Capital Development Programme and aligned to national development priorities, including Uganda Vision 2040.
Authorities say its rollout is expected to improve health outcomes, strengthen the resilience of the health system, and support economic growth through a more skilled workforce.
“Effective implementation of the policy is expected to improve health outcomes through competent, ethical, and practice-ready health professionals,” the ministry said.
The ministry has called on stakeholders across the public and private sectors to support the implementation of the reforms.
“Government now calls upon all Ugandans to support the implementation of the policy so that education and training for health optimally contribute to Uganda’s human capital development and socio-economic transformation,” the statement added.
