Uganda’s Ministry of Health (MoH), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), convened a two-day performance review meeting to assess the progress of the TB and Leprosy Program (NTLP) for the second quarter of 2024.

Uganda is one of the world's thirty high-burden countries for TB. Each year, an estimated 94,000 people in Uganda fall sick with TB. Around two out of every 100 people with TB cannot be treated with simple TB medicines because they have drug-resistant TB, while approximately 15% of TB cases in Uganda are in children below 14 years of age.

Uganda reached the Leprosy elimination stage 20 years ago. However, in the past five years, leprosy cases have been gradually increasing with an average of 400 cases reported annually.

The NTLP has been at the forefront of addressing the significant health challenges posed by TB and Leprosy. MoH has implemented a robust strategy aimed at providing accessible and affordable TB and Leprosy prevention and care services.

  “With support from WHO and partners, Uganda has made commendable progress in improving the TB and Leprosy care landscape. The integration of innovative monitoring systems and collaborative efforts with partners have been pivotal in these advancements,” said Dr. Stavia Turyahabwe, the assistant commissioner for TB/Leprosy at MoH.

The hybrid event under the theme, “Leveraging Regular Monitoring to Assess Desired Outcomes”, brought together 68 participants, drawn from MoH, health workers, implementing partners, WHO and donors. The stakeholders shared evidence-based insights on the TB/Leprosy landscape in Uganda, coupled with identifying gaps and strategic actions to ensure that all people have access to comprehensive quality health services without facing financial hardship.

There is remarkable advancement in monitoring and reporting of TB and Leprosy cases in Uganda. “The integration of electronic case-based surveillance system for routine monitoring is a game-changer in efforts to provide patient-centered care and ensure comprehensive tracking of cases,” said Dr. Evelyne Tibananuka, the TB/Leprosy technical officer at WHO Uganda.

During the first quarter, 23,558 people were started on TB treatment (101% of the quarterly target). This could be attributed to community involvement through community awareness, screening, and testing for TB (CAST-TB) approach.

 Despite this progress, pediatric TB case notifications have been static at 76% of the quarterly targets for the past two quarters. Therefore, there is need to re-strategize and achieve the objectives of the National TB and Leprosy Strategic Plan 2020/21-2024/25 in the remaining implementation period. The Plan’s goal is to reduce incidence of TB by 20% from 200/100,000 population in 2019/20 to 160/100,000 population, and the proportion of Leprosy notification that are children from 8% to less than 3% by 2024/25.

The collaborative efforts of affected communities, private sector and all stakeholders involved underscore Uganda's commitment to tackling TB and Leprosy, by ensuring that quality care is accessible to all in line with Universal Health Coverage principles.

“The fight against TB and Leprosy cannot be left to the Leprosy and TB program alone. I call upon each of us, present here today, to strengthen the integration of TB and Leprosy services in primary health care. The task may appear challenging, but we can yield tangible results by complementing each other’s efforts,” said Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, WHO Representative to Uganda.