Uganda

Uganda’s NCD technical working group is led by the Ministry of Health and supports the development of the NCD strategy for the country.  Dr Gerald Mutungi, MOH NCD Department Lead has been part of the Coalition of Access to NCD Medicines and Products since its launch in 2017 and currently serves on the Coalition’s Steering Committee. 

Uganda MOH has signed an agreement with the Coalition in support of addressing supply security for NCD medicines and products in Uganda.  Through the Coalition, a demand forecasting model for NCD medicines and products will be piloted in Uganda in 2020. Dr Mutungi sits on the Demand Forecasting Technical Working Group.  The Coalition also plans to implement capacity building in NCD care for primary healthcare workers and a costing of the supply chain for NCD medicines.  Some other examples of Uganda’s work in NCDs include PATH’s START-UP project (Screening Technologies to Advance Rapid Testing for Cervical Cancer Prevention—Utility and Program Planning) to demonstrate sensitivity of the careHPV screening test and the Uganda Cancer Institute, which is working towards creating an African regional training center for screening and precancer treatment.  In addition, in February 2020, Entebbe hosted the East Africa Diabetes Study group meeting and the Eastern Africa Dialogue on Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Prevention and Control – (supported by the World Diabetes Foundation and East Africa NCD Alliance).

The Uganda NCD Alliance (UNCDA) was established in 2010 to support the fight against NCDs in Uganda. UNCDA is made up of 3 associations: Uganda Diabetes Association, Uganda Cancer Society and Uganda Heart Research Foundation. Over the years, the Alliance has established 11 branches which are based at district level across four regions of Uganda.