Uganda has one psychiatrist for every 460,000 people

[Da Dona]

Uganda now has 100 psychiatrists, a milestone health experts say could help improve mental health service delivery in the country.

Uganda Association of Psychiatrists (UAP) president Dr Emmanuel Kiiza Mwesiga said the increase is significant given the shortage of psychiatrists across Africa.
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“We know that there are 2,500 psychiatrists in the whole of Africa. So, for any country to reach 100 is a big deal,” Dr Kiiza said.​

He noted that Uganda is among the few countries in the region to reach the 100-psychiatrist mark, with Kenya also having surpassed it, while Rwanda and South Sudan have not.

Dr Kiiza added that mental health care involves many other cadres beyond psychiatrists, including clinical psychologists, social workers, counsellors and occupational therapists, who are also needed to address the country’s mental health needs.

Uganda has an estimated population of more than 46 million people in 2026, according to projections from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).
Information from the Ministry of Health and UAP indicates that 14 psychiatrists are based at Butabika Hospital, while another seven work in regional referral hospitals.

Dr Hafsa Lukwata, Assistant Commissioner for Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, said the government intends to immediately absorb about 28 mental health professionals during the current financial year.

She said about 12 per cent of Ugandans aged 18 and above have some form of mental illness, highlighting the need for more mental health professionals.
Dr Kiiza, however, said Uganda still needs more psychiatrists to meet the needs of its growing population.

Daily Monitor UG
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“We think we are now at the ratio of one psychiatrist to 460,000 population (1:460,000), but we should be realistic and push for around 1:200,000 and then 1:100,000,” he said.​