Uganda
Despite unprecedented funding volatility and eight public health emergencies, UNICEF Uganda delivered direct support to close to six million children, leveraged partnerships to reach eleven million more.
In 2025, UNICEF Uganda delivered strong results for children, despite significant disruptions in external funding, public health emergencies and a slowdown in implementation due to preparation for the general elections in 2026.
Debt servicing consumed 49% of domestic revenues in FY2025/26, with education at 7% and health at 6.3% of the national budget. Investment in social protection remained below one per cent of the national budget.
16 donors, including the UK, France, Netherlands, Sweden and Germany, announced foreign aid cuts. The cumulative impact on the UN was estimated at US$162.5 million, undermining core humanitarian lifelines.
Ebola, Mpox, measles, cholera, yellow fever, anthrax, CCHF and Rift Valley fever affecting 83% of districts tested Uganda's response systems and UNICEF's capacity to deliver.
Instability in DRC, Sudan and South Sudan brought 153,933 new asylum-seekers, bringing Uganda's total refugee population to 1.9 million, of which 77% are women and children.
Multidimensional child poverty stands at 44%. Adolescent girls account for one third of all new HIV infections, and 24% of girls give birth before the age of 18 years.
From immunisation campaigns reaching millions to protecting refugee children from exploitation, UNICEF Uganda's 2025 results span every dimension of child well-being.
High-impact results achieved during 2025 contributed to Uganda's National Development Plan III and all five Goal areas of UNICEF's Strategic Plan 2022–2025. UNICEF Uganda implemented its programme with agility, adapting rapidly to the volatile financing environment while maintaining a child-rights focus.
The CO secured US$29.3 million in development funding and US$7.8 million in emergency funding, engaging with new partners from Austria, Denmark, Turkiye, the UAE and the private sector.
UNICEF supported the Expanded Programme on Immunisation across all 146 districts. Two yellow fever mass campaigns reached 9.2 million people at 93% coverage. The Hepatitis B birth dose vaccine was launched for the first time.
children vaccinated against measles (92% first dose coverage)
68,218 children with severe acute malnutrition were reached through timely RUTF procurement. Vitamin A supplementation reached 5.2 million children in the first round, and 3.9 million in the second.
students reached with weekly iron supplementation in 360 schools
371,139 children accessed integrated services through district-level Child Well-Being Committees. Some 806 unaccompanied children benefited from safe alternative care and family reunification.
children and adolescents received community-based psychosocial support
578,764 learners, including 8,449 with disabilities, benefited from improved foundational learning. 43,782 learners accessed remedial catch-up lessons. 55,577 children reached through mobile ECD models.
child mothers re-enrolled into primary school
214,500 people and children supported with WASH interventions. Korea-funded WASH in Karamoja drove a 44% increase in school enrolment and 38% rise in girls' enrolment. WASH facilities upgraded in 30 schools and 410 health centres.
people benefiting from climate-resilient water infrastructure
UNICEF advocacy shifted birth registration from a project-based intervention to a permanent government service. 217,813 births were notified; 38.6% of children under one registered. 17,960 children received free birth certificates.
of birth notifications now through health facilities
Behind every statistic is a child, a family, a community. Here are snapshots from UNICEF Uganda's frontline work in 2025.
When Uganda faced its eighth Ebola outbreak in January 2025, UNICEF mobilised rapidly. Over 1,014 village health teams were trained for household outreach. A risk communication campaign reached 7.8 million people. On Mpox: UNICEF supported vaccination of 215,680 people, trained 2,310 community health workers, and brought Mpox information to 160,895 learners across 1,685 schools.
Impact analysis of the Belgium-supported GEG programme showed substantial gains in learning outcomes. Kampala Capital City Authority has now integrated the GEG model into its five-year city strategy, a landmark moment for institutionalised girls' education.
Korea-funded WASH interventions in Karamoja produced remarkable results: overall school enrolment increased 44% and girls' enrolment rose 38%. In a region where multidimensional poverty reaches 84.9%, this is transformational.
"Prevention may be quiet work, but over time it reshapes systems. The gains belong to the children."UNICEF Uganda Country Office Reflection, 2025
The year tested Uganda's systems and UNICEF's agility. Key lessons shaped the new Country Programme Document 2026–2030, now finalised.
Sustainable results come when models move from project-based delivery into government-led systems, as seen with birth registration, immunisation, and social work quality standards.
District-level Child Well-Being Committees brought together health, education, justice, local government and the private sector, enabling pooled resources and more accountable child services.
eCHIS interoperability with DHIS2, digital dashboards, e-courts and interactive radio reached children in remote and underserved areas, improving precision and reducing delays in service delivery.
High teenage pregnancy rates, child marriage, and school dropout, especially for girls, persist. Engagement with Busoga, Buganda and Lango kingdoms alongside CSO and private sector partners is critical to lasting change.
UNICEF Uganda's robust Resource Mobilisation and Partnership Strategy maintained stable funding levels in 2025 despite unprecedented ODA volatility.
UNICEF Uganda's new Country Programme Document prioritises upstream policy work and nationwide coverage with a focus on pockets of vulnerability. The CO completed a careful affordability analysis, preserving core functions within a lean, agile structure.
Core commitments include: sustaining social sector budget advocacy, expanding digital innovation, strengthening multisectoral platforms, and mobilising innovative domestic financing for children.