Our programmes with Uganda remain uninterrupted — US ambassador

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The US has reiterated plans to continue support to Uganda. 

US ambassador to Uganda William Popp says support towards key sectors, including health will not be affected.

He was speaking to journalists at the American Centre in Kampala on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The event was in a bid to give an update about his government’s status of assistance in the health sector, including innovation in the health sector, access to health care, health security and health capacity building.

Mary Borgman, PEPFAR Uganda Country Coordinator addresses journalists as William W Popp, US Ambassador to Uganda looks on during a press briefing. Photo by Juliet Kasirye

Popp said while the US may not be in agreement with Uganda on some issues, including the treatment of minority rights, his country has no intentions to alter bilateral support to Uganda, adding “Commitment towards Ugandan people will remain steady”.

According to him, assistance to Uganda is based on results and that their analysis shows that there has been a lot of impact of assistance to Uganda. He noted, for example, that 3.2 million Ugandans have benefitted from support towards malaria prevention and over 250 health workers have been trained on care.

Popp added that support annually towards Uganda stands at $550m (about shillings 2.1 trillion), exclusive of other bilateral assistance to the country. The support is channelled through the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), the United States Agency for International Development Assistance (USAID), the US president’s Malaria Initiative, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious disease (NIAID), the Peace Corps and Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

According to him 95 per cent of this support is implemented through non-governmental organisations.

Highlighting some of the successes in the health sector, Popp said, for example, “since PEPFAR was launched in 2003, it has saved 25 million lives and improved health outcomes in 55 countries, including Uganda, lowering AIDs related deaths by 68 per cent and new infections by 42 per cent.”

He added that PEPFAR support provided HIV treatment to 20.4 million people by 2023.  

William W Popp, US Ambassador to Uganda interacts with Daniele Nyirandutiye, USAID Uganda Mission Director during a press briefing about US Government assistance in the health sector. Photo by Juliet Kasirye

Some of the support has been brought to bear in combatting tuberculosis and other communicable diseases, including helping Uganda establish “more than 70 accredited laboratories”.

As a result of the American support, Popp said “Uganda is now one of the countries that have achieved 100 per cent of treatment for tuberculosis”. 

He said his government will continue to keep funding stable or even grow it so that Uganda achieves health outcomes.