This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has taken a bold step to address corruption in the country's healthcare system by ordering the closure of all privately-owned pharmacies in government health centres.
According to a directive issued to the health minister Dr Jane Aceng on October 2, 2019, President Museveni expressed concerns that health workers were running their own clinics and drug shops, which he believed was a conflict of interest.
"I have directed the health minister to oversee the closure of all privately-owned pharmacy shops in government health centres. I am told that those pharmacies are owned by health workers. Instead of prescribing the use of government medicine, they prescribe their own drugs," President Museveni tweeted.
The president believes that this move will help to completely ban the practice of government health workers from running their own clinics and drug shops, and that it would not have been achieved previously when the salaries of the government health workers were so low.
He also asked the Minister of Public Service to conclude the issue of increasing pay to government scientists and university teachers, saying that paying them well would remove the temptation of double loyalty.
