International donors end support for malaria projects in Uganda

Summary:

• Uganda’s Minister of Health, Jane Aceng, announces the halt of organ transplant activities due to insufficient funding. International donors are ending support for malaria projects, shifting focus to other global issues. The country’s heavy reliance on external donors raises concerns as 85% of the health budget is funded externally.

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Uganda’s healthcare sector is facing a severe setback as Minister of Health, Jane Aceng, announced the suspension of all organ transplant activities until crucial funding is secured. Speaking before Parliament’s Health Committee, Minister Aceng revealed that a staggering Shs5 billion is urgently required to facilitate the training and operations of the Human Organ Transplant Council.

“We have halted all transplant activities because we need a Council in place. Yesterday as you were touring the surgical exhibition, you saw the facilities that are ready, they can’t operate unless we have a Council and the Council has to be trained because it is virgin land in Uganda,” stated Minister Aceng.

Of the required funding, Shs3.6 billion is earmarked for training and benchmarking purposes, while Shs1.4 billion will be allocated for the operational expenses of the Council. The Minister emphasized the necessity of establishing a functioning council to oversee organ transplant procedures, indicating that current facilities remain idle pending its formation and training.

Furthermore, Minister Aceng disclosed alarming news regarding international donors’ plans to cease funding malaria projects in Uganda. Instead, the government is expected to raise its own funds to combat malaria, as donor priorities shift towards global issues such as conflicts in regions like Ukraine and Gaza, as well as climate change initiatives.

“Our partners are no longer willing to increase any more funding for malaria, they have all levelled off. We were invited to Cameroon recently, I was there in person and we were told the world has moved on to climate change issues, global health security and to wars in Ukraine and Israel,” remarked Minister Aceng.

Expressing concern over Uganda’s heavy reliance on external donors for healthcare financing, Minister Aceng highlighted the precarious situation in the upcoming 2024/25 national budget. She revealed that out of the allocated Shs1.328 trillion for the Ministry of Health, a staggering 85% is funded by external donors.

“In the 2024/25 national budget, the Ministry of Health has been allocated Shs1.328 trillion. We take note that external financing takes the greater percentage. The budget under the Ministry of Health is highly subsidized by external donors at 85%,” Minister Aceng lamented.

The Minister stressed the urgent need to mobilize domestic resources to ensure the sustainability of Uganda’s healthcare system, particularly in the face of diminishing external funding. With critical services such as organ transplants suspended and malaria projects facing uncertainty, the health sector’s funding crisis demands immediate attention and concerted efforts to secure sufficient resources for essential medical services.