The United States government, in its support to make Uganda’s health sector self-reliant, has officially handed over digital health information infrastructure valued at approximately Shs385 billion ($100 million) to the Ugandan Ministry of Health.
The handover ceremony, held on Tuesday at the Ministry’s headquarters in Kampala, brings to a conclusion 15 years of technical support under the Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Support (METS) Programme.
This transition shifts the national health data system from the hands of U.S. partners to full control and management by the Ugandan government.
This transition replaces the tedious paper-based record-keeping system that has characterized Uganda’s medical history with digital technology, making 16 national digital platforms ready for operation.
Dr. Diana Atwiine, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, stated that the new system allows for easy access to patient medical files and eliminates treatment delays previously caused by lost paperwork.
This will provide significant assistance in preventing diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis by allowing health workers to access patient data instantly.
The resources donated to the sector include 725 enterprise servers, over 4,700 computers and tablets, and solar power systems to serve nearly 800 health facilities. U.S. Ambassador to Uganda William Popp emphasized that building a strong health system protects not only Uganda but also the United States and the entire world from the threat of pandemics.
This helps Uganda strengthen its capacity to detect and control the spread of disease independently, thereby ensuring global health security.
This project, which is a component of a broader Shs8.7 trillion five-year health cooperation agreement, has now been transferred to the hands of Ugandan professionals.
The government has called upon health workers at all levels to handle these expensive digital devices with care and to record data properly. It was noted that the sustainability and success of this massive investment will depend on careful management and technical maintenance moving forward.
