Experts have called on the Ugandan government to step up domestic financing for sexual and reproductive health services, following significant disruptions in HIV care linked to declining donor support and restrictive foreign aid policies.
The call came during the national closeout event of the five-year We Lead project, where Margaret Nannyombi, Programs Manager at Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Alliance Uganda, warned that vulnerable populations particularly adolescent girls and young women living with HIV are being pushed to the margins due to dwindling funding.
“Many of these young women depended on organizations that facilitated their transport to health centers for antiretroviral treatment,” Nannyombi said.
“Now, that support has reduced, making it harder for them to access lifesaving medication.”
Although “We Lead” was funded by the Dutch government and not USAID, Nannyombi noted that several partner organizations working within the same ecosystem were negatively affected by the Trump-era Global Gag Rule, a U.S. policy that blocked foreign aid to organizations providing or even discussing abortion-related services.
“While SRHR Alliance Uganda was not directly affected, the wider network of HIV service providers took a hit,” she said, adding that the situation underscores the urgent need for the Ugandan government to establish reliable and consistent local funding mechanisms.
“With or without external support, the government must ensure that vulnerable populations\ especially those living with HIV can access essential services,” Nannyombi stressed.
Despite the funding challenges, Nannyombi praised the “We Lead” initiative for creating a resilient movement of young women advocates who are now better equipped to demand their rights and influence national policy.
“This is no longer just about one organization. These young women are confronting local leaders and holding them accountable,” she said.
The “We Lead” project, which was implemented across 80 districts, focused on empowering adolescent girls and young women particularly those living with HIV, with disabilities, or affected by displacement to claim their SRHR through advocacy, leadership training, and policy engagement.
According to the project’s final report, 15 implementing partners supported the initiative in hard-to-reach regions like West Nile, Northern Uganda, and Eastern Uganda.
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The program led to several policy wins at the district level, including the enactment of bylaws to address child marriage and improve health service access for persons with disabilities.
In Kamuli District, for example, local leaders passed regulations requiring health facilities to be more accommodating to young women with disabilities a direct result of project-driven community advocacy.
“Before, many health systems were not inclusive or friendly to marginalized youth. Today, we’ve seen a shift,” Nannyombi said. “Young women now engage directly with policymakers and demand accountability.”
She also noted that some groups formed during the project have successfully registered and begun accessing funds under government schemes like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP), extending their impact beyond health into economic empowerment.
As the “We Lead” project concludes, Nannyombi called on government and policymakers to ensure the gains are not reversed, particularly during electoral periods when youth voices are often overlooked.
“We haven’t solved everything 100%, but we have laid a strong foundation,” she said. “It’s now up to the government and local leaders to build on this progress and fund it.”
The “We Lead” project is regarded as one of Uganda’s most comprehensive SRHR programs targeting vulnerable youth.
As donor priorities shift and foreign funding shrinks, experts say sustained government investment will be essential to protect the health and rights of the country’s most at-risk young women.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
