THE 8TH NATIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH FINANCING (CHF) CONFERENCE
From 18th to 22nd August 2025, key health stakeholders convened at Imperial Golf View Hotel, Entebbe, for the 8th National Community Health Financing (CHF) Conference. The five-day meeting provided a platform for government, development partners, civil society, and local actors to deliberate on guidelines to standardize and scale up community-based health financing (CBHF) schemes as a pathway towards universal health coverage in Uganda.
The Director General Health Services-Ministry of Health, Dr. Charles Olaro, officiated at the opening ceremony. In his keynote address, he reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to advancing CBHF initiatives, noting that the Ministry has agreed to work on Community-Based Health Financing guidelines to standardize, streamline implementation, and scale up CBHF schemes. He emphasized that these guidelines will play a central role in paving the way for government to pick lessons from CBHF schemes in preparation for the long-awaited National Health Insurance Scheme, a milestone in Uganda’s journey towards universal health insurance.
The conference attracted a wide spectrum of participants including officials from the Ministry of Health (Community Health Department and Planning unit), representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE), Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau (UPMB), Uganda Health Partners Cooperatives (UHPC), Kitojo Integrated Development Action (KIDA), Luwero District Local Government, Smart Applications International Uganda, and Save for Health Uganda (SHU), among others.
Over the course of the discussions, participants reviewed best practices, identified challenges, and explored innovative solutions to strengthen community-based health financing. A major outcome of the conference was the development of a draft guideline for CBHF schemes. Delegates also agreed on a clear road map for approval and dissemination of the guidelines, ensuring that they can be operationalized in the near future.
The event marked an important step towards harmonizing efforts across stakeholders to expand financial protection in health for all Ugandans. With the Ministry of Health’s commitment, coupled with strong collaboration from partners, the conference reaffirmed the shared vision of achieving sustainable, inclusive, and accessible health financing mechanisms for all Ugandans.
SHU greatly appreciates Bread for the World, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development for the financial and technical support that made this conference a great success.
