Pregnancy
Maternity services in public facilities are free of charge, and the great majority of women attend at least one antenatal visit. The practical difficulty lies elsewhere: families are routinely asked to bring a delivery kit including gloves, cord ties and plastic sheeting, and transport to a facility at night is often the deciding factor. Maternity leave is sixty working days.
Maternity care in Uganda is free in public facilities on paper, and the real cost is everything around it: transport to a health centre, the mama kit of gloves, cord ties and plastic sheeting that mothers are routinely asked to bring, and informal payments. Facility delivery rates have risen but maternal mortality remains high. Maternity leave is sixty working days, half of which must be taken after the birth.
Key points
| Cost | Free in public facilities; supplies are usually bought by the family |
|---|---|
| Delivery kit | Families are commonly asked to bring gloves, cord ties and sheeting |
| Maternity leave | Sixty working days, with paternity leave of four days |
| Antenatal care | High first-visit attendance; fewer complete four or more visits |
| Village Health Teams | Link households to facilities and follow up after birth |
| Maternity waiting homes | Available near some hospitals for women living far away |
| Emergency care | Referral depends on transport availability |
In practice
- Prepare the delivery kit in advance: being asked for it at the door is the most common delay.
- Ask whether a maternity waiting home is attached to the referral hospital if you live far away.
- Attend at least four antenatal visits: the first alone is not enough.
- Agree the transport plan with family before the eighth month.
Cost and coverage
Public maternity care is free; the delivery kit and transport are the real costs.
Recent changes
Maternal health programmes have expanded transport vouchers and maternity waiting shelters to address delays in reaching facilities, and health insurance legislation has been debated for several years without enactment.
Where to go
- Health centres and district hospitals.
- Village Health Teams.
- Maternity waiting homes attached to referral hospitals.
Worth knowing
Maternity waiting homes are underused and they work: staying near a hospital in the final weeks removes the transport problem entirely for women who live far away.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mama kit?
A pack containing gloves, cotton wool, a plastic sheet, cord ties, soap and a baby blanket that mothers are commonly asked to bring to a public facility for delivery. It costs a modest amount at a pharmacy and is one of the reasons free care is not free in practice.
How long is maternity leave?
Sixty working days at full pay under the Employment Act, with at least half taken after the birth, and four working days of paternity leave. It applies to employees; most working women in Uganda are in informal work and outside it.
The general article: Pregnancy · Compare with another country
Mental health
A Mental Health Act of 2018 replaced the 1964 law, and the gap in treatment remains among the widest in the world.
A 2018 Mental Health Act took the place of Uganda's 1964 legislation and modernised consent and admission.
The general article: Mental health · Compare with another country
Dental care
Public dentistry under the Ministry of Health has no general insurance behind it, so restorative work is a private cost.
Dental care is organised around public facilities under the Ministry of Health, with no general health insurance.
The general article: Dental care · Compare with another country
HIV and AIDS
Uganda has one of the longer-standing responses on the continent, with free antiretroviral treatment, high coverage and a strong prevention-of-mother-to-child programme. Since 2023, however, health organisations have documented that legislation criminalising same-sex conduct has deterred some people from seeking testing and care, a concern raised by international funders and public health bodies.
Uganda's HIV programme is one of the oldest in Africa and treatment is free at public facilities, with PrEP available for people at substantial risk. The country's early success in reducing prevalence is well documented; the current concerns are funding dependence and the effect of the 2023 anti-homosexuality legislation on access to services for key populations.
Key points
| Treatment | Free at public and accredited facilities, with high national coverage |
|---|---|
| Testing | Free and widely available, including through community outreach |
| PMTCT | A long-established and effective programme |
| PrEP | Available through the national programme for people at higher risk |
| Legal context | Legislation passed in 2023 has been documented as deterring some people from care |
| Community services | Extensive network of support organisations |
In practice
- Treatment is free at accredited facilities; ask which is nearest to you.
- Community organisations can advise on services that are safe and confidential.
- Antenatal testing remains the most accessible entry point for many.
Cost and coverage
Testing and antiretroviral treatment are free; transport remains the principal cost.
Where to go
- Public and accredited treatment facilities.
- Uganda AIDS Commission and The AIDS Support Organisation.
- Community and peer support networks.
Worth knowing
If fear of legal consequences is deterring you from testing, contact a community organisation first: they can direct you to services with established confidentiality practice.
Frequently asked questions
Has the 2023 law affected access to services?
Health organisations have reported that it deters key populations from attending clinics and complicates the work of outreach services, because of reporting duties and the risk of association. Treatment remains legally available to everyone; the practical barrier is fear rather than policy.
Hepatitis B
Uganda has run large adult hepatitis B screening and vaccination campaigns, district by district, alongside routine infant immunisation — an approach few countries in the region have attempted at that scale. Prevalence is high and varies markedly between regions, with the north historically most affected.
Uganda runs one of the more ambitious adult hepatitis B programmes in Africa: mass screening and vaccination campaigns targeting adults in high-prevalence districts, alongside infant vaccination in the pentavalent schedule from six weeks. A universal birth dose is not part of the routine schedule, which remains the main gap.
Key points
| Prevalence | High, with marked regional variation |
|---|---|
| Infant vaccination | Routine from six weeks in the combined vaccine |
| Adult campaigns | Large-scale district screening and vaccination campaigns |
| Treatment | Available at referral facilities, with access improving |
| Antenatal screening | Not universal; ask for it |
In practice
- Take part in district screening campaigns: testing and vaccination are free during them.
- Ask for testing during pregnancy.
- Chronic carriers should be linked to a referral facility for monitoring.
Cost and coverage
Campaign screening and vaccination are free; routine treatment costs vary.
Where to go
- District health offices running screening campaigns.
- Regional referral hospitals for treatment.
Worth knowing
Adult campaigns reach people who would never otherwise be tested. If one is running in your district, it is the cheapest and simplest opportunity you will get.
Frequently asked questions
Can adults be vaccinated free in Uganda?
Through the national campaigns targeting high-prevalence districts, yes: screening is offered first, and those who are negative and non-immune are vaccinated free of charge. Outside campaign periods, vaccination is available at health facilities at a cost.
HPV
One of the earlier African countries to introduce the vaccine, in 2015, with screening through visual inspection.
Uganda introduced HPV vaccination into routine immunisation in 2015 for 10-year-old girls, free of charge, and has maintained the programme since. Screening is available at public facilities through visual inspection with acetic acid, and women living with HIV — a large group — are screened more frequently because of substantially higher risk.
Uganda introduced HPV vaccination into routine immunisation for girls aged ten, delivered through schools and health facilities, and was among the earlier adopters in the region. Screening is offered at health centres using visual inspection, and the programme is integrated with HIV services, since women living with HIV face substantially higher risk.
Key points
| Vaccination | In routine immunisation since 2015 for girls aged 10 |
|---|---|
| Screening | Visual inspection with acetic acid at public facilities |
| Women living with HIV | Screened more frequently, given much higher risk |
| Age group | Women aged 25 to 49 prioritised |
| Treatment | Thermal ablation where available |
In practice
- Have 10-year-old girls vaccinated: it is free through routine immunisation.
- If you are living with HIV, ask for screening at your HIV clinic: it is often integrated there.
- Visual inspection gives an immediate result and allows same-day treatment of some lesions.
- Vaccination does not replace screening later in life.
Where to go
- Public health facilities and immunisation outreach.
- Uganda Cancer Institute.
- HIV clinics, which integrate cervical screening.
Worth knowing
Integration of cervical screening into HIV care is the most effective route for the women at highest risk. If you attend an HIV clinic, ask there rather than at a separate service.
Frequently asked questions
Where is screening available in Uganda?
At health centres offering visual inspection with acetic acid, at regional referral hospitals, and increasingly through HIV clinics, where screening is integrated into routine care. Treatment of precancerous lesions with thermal ablation or cryotherapy is available at many of the same sites.