The successful inaugural Uganda UK Global Health Partnership Forum has brought together key stakeholders, including policymakers, health experts, and diaspora leaders from both countries, to strengthen collaboration, review existing health partnerships, and tackle emerging challenges in Uganda’s health sector.
Held under the theme “Strengthening Uganda UK Health Partnership Through Showcasing Impact, Facilitating a Diaspora Dialogue, and Promoting Bi-Directional Learning,” the dynamic exchange took place at the British High Commission in Kampala, Uganda.
In her opening remarks, Ambassador Lisa Chesney, British High Commissioner to Uganda, emphasized the real impact of strengthened partnerships in clinical training, digital health, and health security. She highlighted that the event celebrates mutual benefit through innovation, skills exchange, and the leadership of Ugandan health professionals in the diaspora.
Ambassador Nimisha Madhvani, Uganda High Commissioner to the UK, encouraged diaspora health professionals to continue their vital support for Uganda’s health sector.
Co-hosted by the Ministry of Health, Global Health Partnerships, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the event celebrated and reinforced Uganda-UK health collaborations. It highlighted modern partnerships built on mutual respect, shared responsibility, and bi-directional learning.
Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of the Uganda Ministry of Health, expressed gratitude for UK support that aligns with Uganda’s strategic and national development plans. She noted a focus on strategic collaborations involving curriculum development, health innovations, and skills development and exchange.
She also revealed that Uganda uses a harmonized workplan and budget to avoid siloed implementation. She stressed that donor support should feed into this harmonized plan, aligning with national priorities and budgets to meet clearly identified needs rather than fragmented interests.
She commended development partners for enabling knowledge exchange in skills, research, and innovation, and pledged the Ministry’s continued embrace of virtual learning to scale skills exchange across the sector.
Moses Mulimira, Uganda-UK Health Alliance Incountry Manager and Global Health Partnerships Diaspora Engagement Advisor, thanked attendees for their unwavering commitment to deepening knowledge exchange through health learning conferences and diaspora engagement, fostering healthcare capacity building and innovation.
The event, which attracted hundreds of participants worldwide, spotlighted the power of strengthened health partnerships in promoting mutual benefits, innovation, and diaspora leadership. It also reviewed existing collaborations and addressed emerging challenges in Uganda’s health sector.
This maiden forum promises to promote innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), oncology, and nursing between Uganda and the UK, serving as a precursor to the Global Health Summit in 2026.