Uganda has a well-established health system that integrates and responds to the needs of migrants, refugees, and host communities. This was the conclusion of the five-day mission to assess the health needs of refugees and migrants conducted from 12th to 16th February 2024 in Kyangwali, Kampala, and Kiryandongo refugee settlements. 
 

Uganda is a destination for many refugees and migrants from neighboring East African countries. As of January 2024, Uganda hosted over 1.6 million refugees and asylum seekers in thirteen refugee settlements across the country. While their health status is heterogeneous, mental illnesses, respiratory infections, and non-communicable diseases like hypertension are prevalent among them.

The review gathered information on existing capacities and processes, as well as the readiness of the Ugandan health system to provide even more essential health services to refugees, migrants, and host communities.

Speaking at the opening of the review, the Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, informed the team that “most refugees who came to Uganda are now fully settled, and this growing number in the Ugandan population requires better-informed strategies and efforts to ensure Universal Health Coverage.”

Uganda is committed to the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, and the Global Compact on Refugees which urges society to stand in solidarity with refugees and share the responsibility and burden of hosting and supporting them. The country is also showing promising practices in meeting the health needs of people on the move, in line with the Global Action Plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants.

During the review, Dr. Santino Severoni, Director of the Department of Health, and Migration at the WHO headquarters, noted that “this was an opportunity to gather grounded information on the health situation of refugee and host communities in Uganda, that will inform the development of evidence-based health interventions.” He reiterated WHO’s commitment “to support countries to address refugee and migrant health needs alongside host communities.”

Some of the outstanding findings from the review include that Uganda has an open-door policy allowing free and equal access to health care services for refugees and migrants as nationals and a vibrant health workforce that supports the health care delivery system that concurrently covers refugees and host communities. Community health workers are trained to provide basic health and medical care within the community. Another positive finding was the availability of translators in health facilities in refugee settlements and transit centers that assist refugees in comprehending health information and fully integrating them into the national health system.

Nevertheless, the review also identified areas of improvement, including the need for more investments in hiring healthcare workers specialized in mental health, and better logistics and supply chain management systems to ensure the constant availability of medical supplies.

Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the WHO Representative to Uganda who accompanied the team on the field phase of the review, said that achieving universal health coverage (UHC) requires strengthening the health system to improve the health of migrants, refugees, and host communities. “This review will strengthen partnership, intersectoral coordination, and collaboration among stakeholders and serve as an additional tool to inform decision-making in health management,” he added.

The country review used the Refugee and Migrant Health Country Assessment Tool developed by the WHO’s Department of Health and Migration and utilized it in collaboration with key stakeholders such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The tool aligns with the Global Action Plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants and existing WHO guidance and tools.

The review team comprised of WHO’s Department of Health and Migration, the Ugandan Ministry of Health, and UNHCR.