The United States has provided a $5.5 million state-of-the-art U.N. Level 2 hospital to support the Ugandan military. The 22-bed facility, equipped with specialized suites for dental and surgical care, is designed for rapid deployment in response to regional peacekeeping, humanitarian emergencies and medical crises.
The donation marks the second U.N. Level 2 hospital delivered from the U.S. to Uganda. The first donated hospital played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly contributing to the Ugandan response and saving thousands of lives, including civilians.
As part of the transfer, soldiers from the Uganda People’s Defence Force participated in intensive training at the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capabilities Center in Jinja, which held between October 14-29, 2024. During training, essential skills in setting up, operating, and dismantling the hospital to ensure effective deployment as needed, were major part of the learning.
“This initiative reflects the United States’ dedication to enhancing health care and humanitarian response capabilities as part of the more than 60-year partnership with the Ugandan people,” U.S. Ambassador, William Popp told Uganda citizens.
The majority of U.S. defense and security cooperation in Uganda supports health programs with a direct impact on Ugandan citizens. While less than 3% of the nearly $1 billion in total U.S. government development and humanitarian assistance to Uganda in 2023, nearly two-thirds of all U.S. security cooperation funds went to health programs, with the rest supporting human rights and legal training as well as peacekeeping efforts in Somalia.
