About 500,000 Ugandans need palliative care, but only 11% access the services, according to the Ministry of Health, amid shortages of trained providers and persistent gaps in pain management.
Uganda is making progress in palliative care, but limited access to services, a shortage of trained healthcare providers and gaps in pain management continue to leave thousands of patients without adequate support.
The Ministry of Health estimates that approximately 500,000 Ugandans require palliative care, yet only about 11% of those in need are reached, highlighting the challenge of extending services to communities across the country.
Speaking during the commemoration of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2026, Dr Ronie Bahatungire, the acting commissioner for health services in the Department of Clinical Services at the Ministry of Health, said the country had made progress but still faced significant challenges in ensuring patients receive appropriate care and relief from pain.
“There is a lot of work that has been done, but we still remain with a number of challenges,” Bahatungire said, emphasising the need to address pain associated with different illnesses and provide comprehensive support to patients.
He said the government continued to recognise palliative care as a necessity, citing interventions undertaken to strengthen services and address existing gaps.
“The diagnosis of cancer or any other serious illness must never be treated as a sentence but rather as a requirement for someone to be supported to ensure that they are able to contain what comes with this diagnosis,” Bahatungire said.
He added that access to treatment and supportive care should not depend on a patient's social or economic circumstances.
“A person’s age, poverty, disability or place of residence must never decide whether this person is treated or not,” he said.
Palliative care involves the prevention and relief of suffering among people living with serious illnesses. It addresses physical pain, psychological distress, social challenges and spiritual needs while supporting patients' families and caregivers.
It can be provided alongside treatment intended to cure or control an illness and is not limited to people nearing the end of life.
In Uganda, organisations such as Hospice Africa Uganda and community-based providers have helped expand access to pain relief and supportive care, including services for patients who might otherwise struggle to reach specialised facilities.
Providers and programmes include Kawempe Home Care, Lweza Community Health Programme, Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja, which serves 17 districts in the Busoga sub-region, and New Life Hospice Arua.
However, extending these services to more people requires a stronger healthcare workforce, better access to essential pain-relief medicines and closer integration of palliative care into routine health services, including community-based care.
During a webinar organised by the Palliative Care Association of Uganda to mark World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, stakeholders called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, healthcare providers, communities, faith-based organisations, civil society groups and development partners.
They said coordinated efforts would help ensure that people living with serious illnesses receive timely, appropriate and dignified care, regardless of their income or where they live.
The webinar attracted stakeholders from across the country, highlighting the need to expand awareness of palliative care and strengthen the systems required to deliver it.
With only about one in nine people estimated to be reached by existing services, expanding access remains a major challenge for health sector.