Kampala:- From 6–8 May 2026, ministers, health leaders, development partners and delegates from across the continent gathered in Accra, Ghana, for the Second Health Workforce Investment Forum. The meeting highlighted both the progress and persistent challenges facing Africa’s health workforce.
Although the continent has expanded health workforce training capacity by 70% since 2018, Africa is still projected to face a shortage of 5.8 million health workers by 2030. At the same time, an estimated 27% of trained health professionals remain unemployed, underscoring significant gaps between education, employment opportunities and retention strategies.
Under the theme ‘Plan Better, Train More, Retain Longer’, participants endorsed the development of the Africa Health Workforce Agenda 2026–2035: Plan, Train and Retain, a strategy aimed at transforming, strengthening and sustaining the region’s health workforce. The agenda seeks to ensure that all people have access to quality essential health services throughout their lives, wherever and whenever they need them, without experiencing financial hardship.
Representing Uganda, Honorable Grace Mary Mugasa, Minister of State in the Ministry of Public Service, emphasized the need to move beyond commitments to measurable results.
“The real test is not more declarations, but whether investments translate into deployed, motivated and high-performing health workers,” she said.
During a bilateral meeting with the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, Hon. Mugasa highlighted Uganda’s significant investments in strengthening its health workforce in the post-COVID-19 era. Between FY 2022/23 and FY 2026/27, the government increased health worker wage allocations by 26%, from UGX 1.14 trillion to UGX 1.44 trillion. Further demonstrating this commitment, the government approved a supplementary allocation of UGX 41.2 billion in April—just one month before the investment forum—to recruit critical health workers for government hospitals.
Despite these efforts, major workforce challenges persist. While the health sector wage bill has expanded steadily, only 34% of approved public-sector health positions are currently filled, resulting in a 66% vacancy rate, largely driven by fiscal constraints. Hon. Mugasa emphasized that addressing these gaps will require stronger coordination across government ministries and agencies to improve health workforce planning, education, deployment, and management, ensuring that investments translate into sustainable improvements in service delivery.
Reviewing progress at home
A well-trained, equitably distributed and adequately resourced health workforce is the foundation of a resilient and effective health system. As Uganda reaches the midpoint of implementing its Human Resources for Health (HRH) Strategic Plan 2020–2030, the Ministry of Health, with support from WHO and partners, is taking stock of progress and identifying priorities for the next five years.
To support this effort, WHO facilitated a technical multi-stakeholder workshop that brought together policymakers, health planners, academia, professional bodies and development partners to review progress, identify implementation bottlenecks and help shape Uganda’s next Health Workforce strategy for 2026–2030.
The workshop synthesized evidence from multiple sources, including findings from the human resource for health strategic plan mid-term review, the Health Labour Market Analysis (HLMA), a recently conducted health worker survey assessing workforce experiences and intentions to remain in the profession in Uganda and abroad, national health sector reports, and other relevant data sources. Together, these insights provided a comprehensive picture of Uganda’s evolving health workforce landscape.
Central to the review process was meaningful multi-sectoral engagement. Stakeholders contributed perspectives that cannot be captured through data alone. Their institutional knowledge, frontline experience and sectoral expertise are helping to ensure that Uganda’s next health workforce strategy is both evidence-based and grounded in practical realities.
WHO’s contribution extends beyond technical assistance to facilitating a broader knowledge-sharing and evidence synthesis process that supports informed decision-making and strategic planning.
“The insights generated through this process will directly contribute to shaping Uganda’s next health workforce strategy, ensuring it is grounded in practical realities and aligned with national health workforce priorities.”
From Evidence to Action
By combining robust evidence with broad stakeholder engagement, Uganda is positioning itself to strengthen its health workforce in ways that are sustainable, equitable and responsive to the evolving needs of its population.
WHO remains committed to supporting the development of Uganda’s new Health Workforce Strategy and investment compact, advancing competency-based education, and strengthening health workforce performance and retention to build a resilient workforce capable of delivering quality health services for all.
