The Ministry of Education and Sports has challenged nursing and midwifery schools in the country to strengthen compliance with national education policies and training regulations to improve the quality of health professionals entering Uganda’s healthcare system.
Dr. Hajjat Safina Museene Kisu, the Commissioner for Health Education and Training at the ministry, said institutions must align their operations with the National Education and Training Policy and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act, 2025, to ensure quality assurance and adherence to revised training standards.
She made the remarks on Friday, October 30, 2026, while presiding over Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery’s fourth graduation ceremony in Apac Municipality, at which 613 students received certificates and diplomas.
Dr. Museene said the government is undertaking reforms in health education through digital learning, curriculum reviews, and improved standards for skills laboratories to ensure graduates acquire the practical competencies required in the health sector.
She cautioned training institutions against focusing solely on increasing student enrolment and graduation numbers at the expense of professional competence, saying Uganda needs health workers who are skilled, compassionate, disciplined, and accountable.
“The quality of health professionals trained today will determine the quality of healthcare delivered tomorrow,” she said, urging the graduands to uphold integrity, professionalism, empathy and effective time management as they transition into the world of work.
She further challenged the graduates to embrace lifelong learning and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to remain relevant in an increasingly changing healthcare environment.
Dr. Museene also urged them to become ambassadors of quality healthcare wherever they serve, both within Uganda and internationally.
The school’s director, Martin Ekel, said the institution was established in 2008 by five promoters to address limited access to nursing and midwifery training opportunities in Northern Uganda following years of disruption caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency.
He said at the time, Lira School of Nursing and Midwifery was the only institution offering such training in the region, leaving many prospective students with limited opportunities to pursue careers in the health sector.
Ekel said statistics available to the founders indicated that only 25 of more than 200 students enrolled at the institution were from Northern Uganda, a situation that prompted them to establish another training centre to increase access for local students and address the shortage of indigenous health professionals.
The institution’s Governing Council chairperson, Can. Richard Ogwang Odyero, said enrolment had grown to more than 1,600 students in 2026, with learners coming from different parts of the country, attracting students from traditionally underserved areas, including more than 50 from the Karamoja sub-region.
He attributed the growth to the vision of the founding promoters, an experienced governing council, qualified tutors, and partnerships with nearby health facilities that provide students with practical training.
Can. Ogwang said the institution remains committed to producing health professionals equipped with the knowledge and practical skills needed to serve communities across the country.