Climate change policies and health in Uganda: where are we headed?
Abstract
Over the past 2 decades, Uganda's climate policies have steadily evolved, with several frameworks and legislative measures enacted. However, the explicit consideration of health impacts remains limited, with gaps in ministerial coordination, undefined health targets, insufficient funding and limited community engagement. This commentary examines current governmental strategies through a health lens, assessing how health impacts, mitigation and adaptation measures are addressed-and identifying opportunities to better integrate health into climate policies. Progress could be strengthened by improving ministerial coordination, setting explicit health targets, increasing funding, enhancing preparedness for extreme events such as floods, droughts and extreme heat, as well as climate-sensitive health outcomes through meaningful community engagement. We also identify priority research needs: developing practical health indicators, investigating the knowledge and training of health workers and assessing effective methods for community engagement and policy evaluation. Our findings highlight the need for a clear, actionable research agenda to guide policymakers and to enhance health system resilience and climate policy effectiveness in Uganda.
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