The legal framework
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 |
| Birth dose | Not universally implemented |
| Treatment | Available at referral facilities, with access improving |
| Antenatal screening | Not universal; ask for it |
| Blood safety | Donated blood is screened |
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.
- Household contacts should be tested and vaccinated.
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.
- National viral hepatitis programme.
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.
Why does the birth dose matter so much?
Because transmission from mother to baby at birth is the route most likely to produce a lifelong chronic infection — an infant infected at birth has a very high chance of never clearing the virus, whereas an adult usually does. A vaccine dose within twenty-four hours of birth, with immunoglobulin where the mother is positive, prevents this in the great majority of cases.
Official sources and links
- UN Human Rights Office — ratified treaties and country reviews
- ILO NATLEX — national legislation database