Directorate overview

The Global Health Security Program focuses on Improving Health Security and Building International Health Regulations core capacities in the Republic of Uganda. The Directorate aims to strengthen country-level capacity to prevent, detect and respond to public health threats of national and international concern.

Key targets in strategic plan: The Directorate contributes to Strategic Objective 2 in the strategic plan “Strengthen prevention, detection and response to public health threats/emergencies”

Structure of the directorate: The Director, Global Health Security Oversees the directorate with support from a Program Manager , M&E Manger and Project Coordinators

Ongoing projects

The CDC funded Global Health Security Project (2020-2024); a 5-year grant seeking to strengthen further, establish and sustain Uganda’s capacity to implement core GHSA priorities and comply with IHR (2005). Project strategic objectives are to:

1)           Improve the prevention of avoidable epidemics;

2)           Improve the ability to detect threats early;

3)           Strengthen the capacity to respond rapidly and effectively to public health threats of national and international concern

The project currently operates at the national level, in the Rwenzori (9 districts, one city) and Bunyoro (8 districts, 1 city) regions, and other regions as the need arises, especially for emergency response work.

The GIZ funded KCCA COVID-19 Project (2022-2023); a 1-year grant seeking to Strengthen linkages between COVID-19 testing, surveillance and Home-based care to support the containment of COVID-19 in Kampala. Project strategic objectives are to:

1)           Strengthen the capacity of KCCA surveillance systems for early detection of suspected cases at the division, parish, and village levels

2)           Strengthen COVID-19 laboratory data management, reporting, and use at Kampala city private and public health facilities

3)           Enhance community systems and engagement for COVID-19 prevention and control through Home-Based Care

The project currently operates in five divisions (Central, Nakawa, Makindye, Rubaga, and Kawempe). 

Closed projects:

The WHO Funded COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Follow up Project (2021); a short-term grant that supported the Ministry of Health (MOH) to strengthen reporting, contact tracing and follow up in selected regions. Project strategic objectives were to:

1)           To strengthen contact identification, listing and follow-up for all COVID-19 confirmed cases.

2)           To improve data management and daily situation reports through GoData and ODK respectively

The project was implemented in across 63 districts in six health regions of Jinja, Masaka, Mbale, Moroto, Mubende and Soroti.