KAMPALA, Uganda (UGNEWSLINE) – The Executive Director of Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, Dr Nakku Juliet, has urged the government to make mental health a national medical priority by providing it with a dedicated statutory budget.
Dr Nakku made the call on October 11, 2026, during the climax of the 2026 International Mental Health Day marathon celebrations held at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) sports grounds.
Addressing Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi, who was the chief runner and guest of honour, Nakku said mental health should be treated like any other medical condition and recognised as a national health priority, with a dedicated budget allocation approved by Parliament.
She described mental health as both a wealth creation and economic development issue, arguing that it should not be marginalised within the broader category of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which encompasses several lifelong illnesses.
Nakku warned that mental health challenges could become a national security concern if left unaddressed, particularly among young people, who constitute a significant part of the country’s productive workforce and contribute to government revenue through taxation.
She called for a deliberate government policy requiring officials from the ministries responsible for education, local government, and gender, labour and social development to actively integrate mental health into their programmes and activities.
The Commissioner for Mental Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr Hasifa Lukwata, said stakeholders should make deliberate efforts to provide technical support to vulnerable communities facing challenges such as domestic violence, discrimination and stigma.
In response, Baryomunsi acknowledged the widespread impact of mental health challenges and called for greater investment in addressing their underlying causes, particularly among young people.
He said mental health could affect anyone and urged the government and other stakeholders to mobilise resources to reduce the burden, noting that young people make up a substantial proportion of Uganda’s workforce.
The minister also agreed with Nakku that mental health should be mainstreamed as a national priority and receive a dedicated budget instead of being treated as a secondary issue within the NCDs category.
He described the matter as serious and said the government should strengthen advocacy and support legislation to ensure that no one is left behind in efforts to improve mental health services.
The Parliamentary Forum on Mental Health, whose patron is Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oboth-Oboth, was represented by its Vice Chairperson, Christopher Komakech, the Member of Parliament for Aruu County in Pader District.
Komakech said Parliament was concerned about the increasing number of mental health cases, particularly among young people.
He called for an increase in the mental health budget from its current level of one per cent, arguing that the economic and social consequences of mental health conditions required greater government investment.
Komakech said the parliamentary advocacy forum needed to intensify efforts to lobby legislators for increased funding to support the training of health workers, politicians and education institutions, as well as public awareness campaigns about mental health.
The Mayor of Nakawa Division, Ali Bukeni, expressed concern that mental health challenges were silently claiming lives as affected people continued to face discrimination, isolation and marginalisation.
He called for collective action by government agencies, civil society organisations and communities to support people experiencing mental health challenges instead of isolating them.
Christopher Kwizera, the National Programme Manager of the Uganda Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance (UNCDA), told this website that the government should support civil society organisations to strengthen efforts to address mental health challenges, which are among the concerns associated with the broader NCD burden.
Kwizera commended the Ministry of Health and development partners for working with civil society organisations to reach remote and hard-to-access communities affected by NCDs.
Moses Okwera of Mental and Reproductive Health Uganda (MRHU) said the organisation was working with the Ministry of Health and other technical health agencies to reach communities with messages of hope and promote an end to discrimination against people experiencing mental health challenges.
Okwera, a former division councillor in Nakawa Urban Council, thanked the government and Butabika Hospital for collaborating with civil society organisations to strengthen the capacity of healthcare providers and sensitise communities about the dangers of drug addiction, alcoholism and domestic violence among young people.
He said these challenges could have serious consequences for the health and lives of those affected, underscoring the need for coordinated community awareness and support.
Richard Baligwa Mukasa of the Bipolar Association of Uganda shared his personal experience of living with a mental health condition, saying he began experiencing the problem at the age of 19 while still in his early years of schooling.
Baligwa said millions of young people were silently struggling with mental health challenges but were reluctant to seek professional medical support because of limited awareness among families and surrounding communities about mental illness and its effects.
He called for greater public education to help families recognise mental health challenges, encourage affected people to seek professional care and reduce the stigma that prevents many from accessing support.
