Uganda Declares Mental Health the New Frontier for National Growth

With the official launch of the State of Uganda Population Report 2025, the government has pivoted its development strategy to put mental well-being at the heart of human capital, warning that rising psychological challenges now pose a direct threat to the country’s future growth.

The report was unveiled on Wednesday, February 19, and carries a clear message that mental health is no longer a marginal discussion point, but a core pillar of human capital development.

Speaking during the launch, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said the country cannot attain sustainable growth if mental health concerns remain unaddressed.

“Human capital development cannot be achieved while mental health is rising. When the mind is unwell, planning suffers, productivity declines, families break down, violence escalates, and communities collapse”, the minister said.

The report reveals a sharp increase in reported mental health cases at health facilities, rising by 71 percent between 2021 and 2024.It estimates that about 24.2 percent of adults and 22.9 percent of children are affected by mental health conditions. 

Nearly one in four Ugandans is impacted by mental health challenges. Despite the burden, fewer than one in ten people who require care receive appropriate support.

The findings cite infrastructure gaps, workforce shortages, stigma and limited financing as key barriers to effective mental health service delivery.

Minister Aceng stressed that mental health is not only a social burden but a major economic one. The economic impact of mental ill health is already significant, with losses linked to mental health conditions totalling billions of Uganda shilling in 2021 and 2024.

In response, the Ministry of Health has pledged to integrate mental health services into primary health care nationwide through standardized screening. The ministry also plans to expand the mental health workforce by more than 5300 posts and reposition Butabika National Referral Hospital as a centre of excellence for mental health care, research and training.