Uganda has reduced maternal mortality in recent years, but women—especially in rural areas—still struggle to access care. Long distances to facilities, shortages of skilled birth attendants, and frequent stockouts of medical supplies put mothers at risk, while high rates of teenage pregnancy add to the danger.

Health worker shortages deepen the crisis: many facilities run with less than half of the required staff, and difficult working conditions, limited training, and poor incentives push workers away from hard-to-reach areas.

Communicable diseases such as cholera, typhoid, diarrhoeal illnesses, and recurring Ebola outbreaks continue to burden communities, driven largely by weak WASH systems. Many households rely on unsafe water and lack basic sanitation, which fuels preventable illness and spreads infection during childbirth and newborn care.

Food insecurity drives malnutrition, leaving children and mothers more vulnerable to disease. Together, these challenges actively undermine Uganda’s health system and block progress toward equitable, sustainable care for all.