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Gov’t Discusses Filling Void as Offices Close Following USAID’s Funding Pause
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health (MOH) will take off this week to examine critical areas, which will need prompt intervention by the government following the suspension of funding by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
USAID invests more than US$350 million annually in specific health programs in Uganda including HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB. According to Dr. Diana Atwine, the MOH Permanent Secretary the Executive Order by the United States President, Donald Trump suspending funding last week means that they will evaluate and decide how they will continue to operate without this support.
Following Trump’s Executive Order in which he directed a 90-day pause in foreign programs as they reevaluate and realign United States foreign aid, the USAID Supervisory Agreement Officer in Uganda, Nya Kwai Boayue sent out a notice announcing the suspension of all programs effective Friday last week.
“Please be advised that you must immediately suspend performance under the agreement issued by USAID/Uganda. All program implementation is suspended, and your organization must refrain from incurring additional obligations chargeable to the agreement during this suspension. As stated in the reference notice the only allowable costs are “legitimate expenses incurred before January 24, 2025, under existing awards or legitimate expenses associated with stop-work orders, suspensions, or pause-related amendments,” reads the notice in part.
Now, in her briefing this morning, Atwine said that the ministry will later this week present to the Ministry of Finance areas that cannot be postponed and will need government funding to fill the void.
.@DianaAtwine on USAID funding freeze. #NBSUpdates pic.twitter.com/dnjH3A8yUE
— Mugenyi Henry (@MugenyiHenry_) January 27, 2025
While she couldn’t elaborate the exact amounts, they would need for this period, she noted that some staff who have been working under USAID funding have already been told to go home but added that the biggest has been going towards of ARVs, an area that government needs to quickly develop a plan for.
However, government is not the only entity affected by this move.
URN has for instance seen an email to staff by Dr. Andrew Kambugu, the Executive Director at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) notifying them that the institution will be complying with the order. IDI runs a comprehensive HIV clinic, offering clients treatment for HIV and also other opportunistic infections associated.
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