The Government Chief Whip Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero has called for greater emphasis on disease prevention, saying this is critical to reducing the growing pressure on Uganda’s health system. Aceng, who is also the Lira City Woman MP and former Minister of Health, said Uganda’s growing population makes it increasingly difficult for the government to provide adequate medicines and health facilities for everyone.
She made the remarks on Wednesday, September 9, while closing the two-day Regional Health Assembly, also known as the Joint Review Mission 2026, organised by Lira Regional Referral Hospital in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
Aceng said preventing diseases would reduce the disease burden and allow the health system to redirect resources towards treating non-communicable diseases such as hypertension. She noted that national statistics indicate that about 25% of Ugandans are hypertensive, warning that the increasing burden of preventable and lifestyle-related diseases could overstretch the health system if prevention is not prioritised.
Aceng also urged community health extension workers to continue serving communities despite challenges surrounding remuneration, saying healthcare requires people with a genuine “heart to serve.” She further called on citizens to take responsibility for maintaining clean surroundings, saying proper sanitation and hygiene remain important in preventing diseases and reducing unnecessary pressure on health facilities.
Doreen Akuno, Viral Hepatitis Focal Point Officer and Senior Nursing Officer under the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (UNEPI), called for stronger efforts to prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B.
Akuno said most people who develop chronic hepatitis B infection acquire the virus at birth, making timely vaccination of newborns an important intervention in controlling the disease. She said hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination coverage has reached 84%, three years after the vaccine was introduced, but urged health workers to ensure babies born to hepatitis-positive mothers receive the birth dose and complete the recommended vaccination schedule.
Akuno said northern Uganda remains heavily affected by hepatitis B and C, with Lango recording 35.4% hepatitis positivity among pregnant women, while West Nile and the Central region have recorded the highest antenatal positivity. She also cited gaps in testing commodities, funding, data quality and linking positive clients to treatment, warning that without stronger reporting and intervention, hepatitis would continue to silently claim lives.
Dr. Frednald Byamugisha, the Lango Regional Emergency Medical Services team lead at Lira Regional Referral Hospital, called for improved emergency medical services in the region, saying ambulances should have healthcare workers on board to provide treatment to patients during transportation.
Byamugisha said Lango currently has only one Class C advanced life-support ambulance capable of providing critical-care services, including ventilator support and other emergency procedures. He warned that ambulances operating with only drivers do not meet the required standard of an ambulance because patients may require medical intervention while being transported to health facilities.
Byamugisha identified inadequate fuel, poor reporting, inappropriate referrals, staff transfers, and low prioritisation of emergency medical services as some of the challenges affecting emergency response in the region. He urged health managers to provide dedicated healthcare workers and drivers for ambulances, ensure proper documentation and daily ambulance checks, conduct regular emergency drills, and strengthen preparedness for emergencies.
Timothy Tambulira, a pharmacist at the National Medical Stores (NMS) Northern Uganda Regional Office in Gulu, urged district health leaders to place timely orders for medicines to avoid shortages at health facilities.
Tambulira said delays in ordering medicines and submitting empty orders could result in health facilities missing essential supplies. He said the NMS encouraged districts to establish earlier internal deadlines to allow health teams enough time to review, correct, and submit their orders.
Tambulira said Lira District had the lowest order submission rate at the time of his presentation, while Kole District had recorded a 97% submission rate. He stressed that accurate data and timely ordering are critical to ensuring health facilities receive adequate supplies of essential medicines.
Hellen Grace Anyoda, Senior Blood Donor Recruitment Officer and in-charge of Lira Regional Blood Bank, revealed that the blood bank collected 17,750 units of blood during the last financial year, surpassing its annual target of 17,160 units by 590 units.
Anyoda said the facility had steadily improved its performance nationally, rising from 12th position in 2024 to seventh in 2025 and fourth in the last financial year. She attributed the improvement to sustained community mobilisation and support from organisations and institutions that have participated in blood donation campaigns.
The two-day Regional Health Assembly, held under the theme “A Responsive, Sustainable Health System for 10-Fold Growth,” started on Tuesday, September 8, and ended on Wednesday, September 9.
The meeting brought together chief administrative officers, resident district commissioners, LCV chairpersons, Health Sub-District and Health Centre IV in-charges, development partners and other health stakeholders to review progress and challenges affecting healthcare delivery in the region.