The Vice Chairperson of the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Mental Health, Christopher Komakech, MP for Aruu County in Pader District, has called for urgent reforms to strengthen Uganda’s mental health system, saying the country must move beyond policy commitments and ensure services reach people where they live.
Speaking at the Fourth Mental Health Awareness Camp 2026 under the theme “Advancing Mental Health Policy into Action,” Komakech said while Uganda has made progress in mental health policy, coordination and advocacy, significant gaps remain in service delivery.
“This theme is particularly important because it challenges us to move beyond awareness and commitment, and focus on what is actually happening in our systems, in our facilities, and in our communities,” he said.
Komakech noted that mental health services remain heavily centralized, with specialized care concentrated at referral hospitals such as Butabika, leaving many Ugandans far from the services they need.
“If we are serious about implementation, then mental health must be fully embedded into primary healthcare delivery, not treated as a specialized service that only exists at higher levels of care,” he said.
He said many lower-level health facilities lack trained personnel, structured mental health screening systems and a consistent supply of essential medicines, leading to late diagnosis of conditions such as depression, anxiety and substance use disorders.
Komakech also highlighted the shortage and uneven distribution of mental health professionals across the country, urging government to strengthen task-sharing, continuous training and supportive supervision to enable non-specialist health workers to provide basic mental healthcare.
On financing, he said mental health continues to receive limited budget allocations despite its impact on productivity, education, family stability and national development.
“Mental health investment should be understood not as a cost burden, but as an investment in human capital and national productivity,” he emphasized.
He further called for stronger mental health data systems and greater accountability to ensure planned interventions are implemented effectively.