Key data for Uganda

NCI22nd HRCI29th HANCI28th
HANCI compares 45 countries for their performance on 22 indicators of political commitment to reduce hunger and undernutrition. All the countries compared in the index have high rates of hunger and undernutrition. The comparative approach of the index means that country scores are calculated in relation to the political commitment of the other countries in the index.
Existing rates of: Stunting: 28.9% Wasting: 3.5% Proportion of population underweight: 3.5% Source: Government of Uganda (DHS,2016)

Strong Performance

  • The Government encourages varied agricultural research and extension services, and local farmer organisations are involved in setting policy priorities. The extension system is effective and properly reaches out to poor farmers. Government policies, strategies and mechanisms seek to ensure gender equity in access to extension services.
  • The National Nutrition Policy/Strategy identifies time bound nutrition targets and a multisectoral and multistakeholder policy coordination mechanism has been set up.
  • Policymakers in Uganda benefit from regular nutrition surveys that are statistically representative at national level. The last survey was published in 2016.
  • The Government has fully enshrined the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes into domestic law.
  • The Government of Uganda promotes complementary feeding practices.
  • In Uganda 97.3% of women aged 15-49 were visited at least once during pregnancy by skilled health personnel in 2016.
  • In Uganda, constitutional protection of the right to social security is strong.

Areas for improvement

  • Spending on agriculture (4.9% of public spending in 2018), does not meet government commitments set out in the African Union’s Maputo Declaration (10% of public spending).
  • Uganda’s spending in its health sector (5.1% of public spending in 2017) does not fully meet (15%) commitments set out in the Abuja Declaration.
  • In Uganda, the law does not give women legal access to agricultural land equal to men. Men and women have equal economic rights, but this is not effectively enforced and discriminatory practices against women continue, increasing their vulnerability to hunger and undernutrition.
  • The Government of Uganda has achieved two high doses of vitamin A supplementation for only 33% of children in 2018.
  • Weak access to improved sanitation facilities (18.5% in 2017) obstructs better hunger and nutrition outcomes.
  • In Uganda, constitutional protection of the right to food is weak.
  • Social safety nets in Uganda are basic and only cover few risks for a limited number of beneficiaries.
  • Civil registration rates are weak (32.2% in 2016) and potentially hold back children’s access to critical public services such as health and education.

Hunger Reduction Commitment Index (HRCI)

Public Spending Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Public spending on agriculture as share of total public spending
?
4.9%201824th
Public spending on health as share of total public spending
?
5.1%2017Joint 26th
Policies Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Access to land (security of tenure)
?
Moderate2019Joint 22nd
Access to agricultural research and extension services
?
Strong2019Joint 17th
Civil registration system — coverage of live births
?
32.2%201637th
Functioning of social protection systems
?
Weak2018Joint 11th
Laws Score Year HRCI rank of 45
Level of constitutional protection of the right to food
?
Weak2016Joint 30th
Equality of women’s access to agricultural land
?
Not in Law2019Joint 40th
Equality of women’s economic rights
?
In Law, not in Practice2019Joint 5th
Constitutional right to social security
?
Yes2018Joint 1st

Nutrition Commitment Index (NCI)

Public Spending Score Year NCI rank of 45
Separate budget for nutrition
?
Sectoral only2019Joint 24th
Policies Score Year NCI rank of 45
Vitamin A supplementation coverage for children
?
33%201837th
Government promotes complementary feeding
?
Yes2015Joint 1st
Population with access to an improved water source
?
80.8%201723rd
Population with access to improved sanitation
?
18.5%201737th
Health care visits for pregnant women
?
97.3%201610th
Nutrition features in national development policy
?
Moderate2015-202021st
National Nutrition Policy/Strategy
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Multisector and multistakeholder policy coordination
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
Time bound nutrition targets
?
Yes2019Joint 1st
National nutrition survey in last 3 years
?
Yes2016Joint 1st
Laws Score Year NCI rank of 45
Enshrine ICBMS in domestic law
?
Fully Enshrined2019Joint 1st