Uganda

The Uganda country profile provides an overview of the community health system in Uganda according to the most up-to-date policies available. It particularly focuses on the country’s community health providers, the structures that support them, and the services they deliver across many health areas – with a spotlight on family planning. The profile is targeted towards policymakers, program implementers, donors, researchers, and others interested in the country’s community health system.

The table below captures key information from the full, downloadable country profile. The complete CHS Catalog data set is also available for download, including information for Uganda.

Community Health Quick Stats

Main Community Health Policy / Strategy | Last Updated
  • The Second National Health Policy | 2010
  • Village Health Team Strategy and Operational Guidelines | 2010
  • Health Sector Development Plan, 2015/16–2019/20 | 2015
  • Community Health Extension Workers Strategy in Uganda, 2015/16- 2019/20 | 2016
Number of Community Health Provider Cadres

2 main cadres

  • Community health extension workers (CHEWs)
  • Village health teams (VHTs)
Recommended Number of Community Health Providers
  • 15,000 CHEWs
  • Information not available
Estimated Number of Community Health Providers
  • 1,500 CHEWs1
  • 179,175 VHTs2
Recommended Ratio of Community Health Providers to Beneficiaries
  • 1 CHEW : 500 households or 2,500 people
  • 1 VHT : 25–30 households or 5 VHTs : 1 village
Community-Level Data Collection Yes
Levels of Management of Community-Level Service Delivery

National, district, county, sub-county, parish, village
Key Community Health Program(s)

CHEW; integrated community case management; reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health; national TB and Leprosy Control and HIV/AIDS Control programs; Expanded Program on Immunization.

1 CHEWs were introduced in 2016 with the intention of having 1,500 in place by the end of the year.
2 As of 2015.

Key Policies and Strategies

Ministry of Health, Health Education and Promotion Division. 2010. Village Health Team Strategy and Operational Guidelines.

Ministry of Health, Republic of Uganda. n.d.a. Mobilising Communities for Immunization Services: What VHTs and community mobilisers need to know and do (accessed July 2017).

———. n.d.b. Village Health Team: A Handbook to Improve Health in Communities (accessed July 2017).

———. n.d.c. Village Health Team: Guide for Training the Trainers of Village Health Teams.

———. n.d.e. Village Health Team: Participants Manual for Village Health Team Members (accessed July 2017).

———. 2001. National Policy Guidelines and Service Standards for Reproductive Health Services. Kampala: Reproductive Health Division, Community Health Dsepartment, Ministry of Health (accessed July 2017).

———. 2009. The Operational Framework for Nutrition in the National Child Survival Strategy (accessed July 2017).

———. 2010a. Manual of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Programme, 2nd Edition (accessed July 2017).

———. 2010b. Newborn Component of the Child Survival Strategy in Uganda, Implementation Framework (accessed July 2017).

———. 2010c. Policy Guidelines and Service Delivery Standards for Community Based Provision of Injectable Contraception in Uganda (accessed July 2017).

———. 2010d. Second National Health Policy. Kampala: Government of Uganda, Ministry of Health (accessed July 2017).

———. 2012. Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunization Multi Year Plan 2012-2016 (accessed July 2017).

———. 2013. Reproductive Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Sharpened Plan for Uganda (accessed July 2017).

———. 2014. The Uganda Malaria Reduction Strategic Plan 2014–2020. Kampala: Ministry of Health (accessed July 2017).

———. 2015. Health Sector Development Plan, 2015/16–2019/20. Kampala: Ministry of Health (accessed July 2017).

———. 2016a. Community Health Extension Workers Strategy in Uganda (2015/16–2019/20) (accessed July 2017).

———. 2016b. Essential Medicines and Health Supplies List for Uganda. Kampala: Ministry of Health Uganda (accessed July 2017).

———. 2016c. Strategy for Improving Health Service Delivery 2016–2021 (accessed July 2017).

Ministry of Health, Republic of Uganda; UNICEF; World Health Organization. 2010. Integrated Community Case Management of Childhood Malaria, Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, Implementation Guidelines (accessed July 2017).

Ministry of Health, United Nations Uganda, Pathfinder International, Ideal Development Consults Limited. 2015. National Village Health Teams (VHT) Assessment in Uganda (accessed July 2017).

Uganda AIDS Commission, Republic of Uganda. 2015. National HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan 2015/2016– 2019/2020. Kampala: Uganda AIDS Commission Secretariat (accessed July 2017).