Uganda does not train specialised health workers to care for the elderly, leaving the country with only three geriatric doctors and no geriatric nurses, Parliament has been told.
Minister of State for Gender, Labour and Social Development (Elderly Affairs) Jacqueline Mbabazi disclosed the gap while responding to a motion on improving healthcare services for older persons.
“We have only three geriatric doctors and we do not have any geriatric nurses at all. In fact, Uganda does not train any geriatric health care personnel,” Mbabazi told legislators.
The shortage highlights a major challenge facing efforts to expand healthcare for Uganda’s growing elderly population, as improved access to services will require not only infrastructure and funding but also a specialised workforce.
Mbabazi said the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development is engaging the Ministry of Health on strengthening geriatric care and introducing training curricula for both geriatric doctors and nurses.
She added that one of the country’s three geriatric specialists has recently been recruited to support the National Council for Older Persons.
The minister’s remarks point to a significant gap in Uganda’s health system, where healthcare workers are largely trained to provide general services rather than specialised care for age-related conditions.
Geriatric medicine focuses on the health needs of older people, including the management of multiple and often chronic conditions, functional limitations and other challenges associated with ageing.
For Uganda, establishing specialised training could help build the capacity needed to provide more appropriate and coordinated healthcare for older persons, particularly as demand for elderly services increases.
The government’s engagement with the Ministry of Health is therefore expected to determine how geriatric medicine can be incorporated into Uganda’s health training system and ultimately expand the number of specialists available to care for older people.
The disclosure comes as Parliament considers measures to strengthen elderly healthcare, placing the shortage of specialised personnel at the centre of efforts to improve services for older Ugandans.
