Sida's work in Uganda
Sida's work in Uganda aims to strengthen respect for human rights, promote entrepreneurship and create jobs, increase resilience to climate crises, and improve people’s access to healthcare.
Sida’s support in Uganda 2025
Why do Sida work in Uganda?
Poverty and social vulnerability
Despite economic growth, many people in Uganda still live in a state of great vulnerability. Poverty is particularly evident in rural areas, where many people earn a living through small-scale farming and have low and insecure incomes. Households are severely affected by rising food and fuel prices, unemployment and climate-related problems such as droughts and floods. Many also lack access to education, healthcare and stable jobs, making it difficult to improve their living conditions.
Democracy and human rights under pressure
The democratic space in Uganda has become increasingly restricted. Opposition figures, human rights defenders, journalists and civil society organisations face obstacles, threats, harassment and legal pressure. The situation is particularly serious for LGBTQI people, whose rights are severely curtailed by legislation, social stigmatisation and widespread discrimination.
Refugees are particularly vulnerable
Uganda is the African country that hosts the largest number of refugees, mainly from neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. In 2026, there are nearly 2 million refugees in the country. Refugees are particularly vulnerable, especially women and girls, who face an increased risk of gender-based violence.
Examples of what Sida contributes to
A stronger civil society
Sida supports civil society organisations working to promote human rights, democracy and greater participation in society. This support helps people to access information, make their voices heard and influence decisions that affect their lives. Sida also works to promote greater transparency, reduce corruption and improve access to justice, particularly for people living in poverty or in vulnerable situations.
More jobs and strengthened trade
Sida promotes entrepreneurship, job creation and free, sustainable and rules-based trade. This support helps small and medium-sized enterprises to grow, gain better access to finance, sustainable energy solutions and digital solutions, and develop more sustainable value chains. This can create more productive jobs with decent working conditions and better livelihood opportunities, particularly for women, young people and those in vulnerable situations.
Improved health and SRHR for the most vulnerable
Sida works to ensure that more people in Uganda have access to basic healthcare and social services. The support focuses primarily on maternal, child and adolescent health, as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights. It also helps to strengthen the healthcare system through training, better information and support for local initiatives. The aim is for more people to receive the care, knowledge and support they need to lead healthier and safer lives.
Long-term support for refugees and host communities
Sida works on long-term development initiatives aimed at refugees and areas that receive refugees. This support is designed to strengthen people’s opportunities to earn a living, access public services and enjoy security over time. It helps to reduce vulnerability both for people displaced by conflict and for the communities that receive them.
Development cooperation in Uganda
Sida supports civil society and organisations that strengthens respect for human rights, democracy, gender equality, climate and the environment. An important part of development cooperation is to support sustainable enterprise, free and fair trade and to help people living in poverty to work under decent conditions.
Sida supports civil society organisations working to promote democratic development, greater respect for human rights, increased gender equality and a legal system that treats everyone equally before the law. Here are some examples of programmes supported by Sida:
Through long-term cooperation with IDLO, Sweden supports efforts to strengthen the rule of law, increase access to justice and improve transparency and accountability, with a particular focus on vulnerable and marginalised groups. These initiatives include, amongst other things, legal aid, capacity-building for judicial institutions and local actors, and targeted measures to improve women’s and girls’ access to the justice system and promote their rights.
Community justice in Uganda | IDLO – International Development Law Organization
Through the PACER programme, Sweden, together with other donors, supports efforts to strengthen accountability, civic engagement and respect for human rights, with a particular focus on the West Nile and Karamoja regions.
Support from Sida is directed towards civil society organisations, improved access to justice and information on rights, and enhanced opportunities for women, young people and other marginalised groups to participate in society.
The Programme on Accountability, Civic Engagement and Rights (PACER), 2023–2027 | Openaid
Sida supports organisations that contribute to sustainable economic growth that benefits people living in vulnerable circumstances. The aid supports job creation, sustainable entrepreneurship and free and fair trade.
Sida also provides support to increase access to clean and affordable energy through its aid programmes. Here are some examples of programmes and projects supported by Sida:
Through the SWIFT initiative, Sweden and TradeMark Africa are supporting efforts to reduce trade barriers and make trade faster, simpler and more inclusive in countries such as Uganda. These efforts include digitalisation, more efficient border and customs processes, and support for trade along the Northern Corridor, which links Uganda to key trade routes via Kenya and Rwanda.
Trade for Jobs Uganda promotes trade as a means of creating more and better jobs, particularly for women, young people and those living in poverty. The programme focuses on the dairy and tourism sectors by strengthening small businesses, boosting competitiveness, improving market access and fostering more inclusive growth.
Uganda is part of the Beyond the Grid for Africa (BGFA) programme, which increases access to affordable renewable electricity for people living off the grid.
BGFA accelerates market access and market development in the renewable energy sector. By supporting private investment, Sida helps ensure that people living in poverty have access to affordable and renewable energy services.
Sida works with organisations that strengthen the country’s health sector to ensure more equitable access to healthcare. Women and girls have gained greater access to services such as antenatal and adolescent healthcare. The aid strengthens people’s rights, with a particular focus on young people and LGBTQI individuals, and increases their access to SRHR services.
Here are some examples of programmes and projects supported by Sida:
A large proportion of the people who have been forced to flee are living in the West Nile district in north-western Uganda. Child mortality is particularly high here. Sida supports the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s country programme in Uganda, which, amongst other things, strengthens child and maternal health and the district’s health sector, thereby helping to meet the increased need for health and care services.
About the child and maternal health programme on UNICEF Uganda’s website
To counter the rising trends in gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies and child marriage, Sida is supporting long-term advocacy work through the organisation CEHURD, which improves cooperation between various regional organisations working on these issues.
A major and intractable problem in Uganda is the number of teenage pregnancies, with over 20 per cent of all 15–19-year-olds having given birth. To reverse this trend, Sweden, the Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark and UNFPA are contributing to the SAYPlus+ programme. The programme operates in areas where early teenage pregnancies are most prevalent and where other support is lacking.
Read more on the UNFPA Uganda website Uganda | United Nations Population Fund
Uganda and Makerere’s Faculty of Public Health serve as the hub for the global Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SiHi). SiHi supports local organisations so that they can better organise themselves and support local communities on health issues, with a focus on SRHR issues.
Sida’s development cooperation in Uganda is governed by different strategies; the bilateral strategy for the country (download below) and regional and thematic strategies.
Updated: August 12, 2026