The United States has delivered a $5.5 million mobile hospital to the Ugandan military, aiming to strengthen Uganda’s capacity for regional peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and medical response. The 22-bed UN Level 2 hospital is equipped with specialized dental and surgical suites and is designed for quick deployment to address crises across East Africa.
This recent donation, announced by the US military’s Africa Command (Africom) on October 31, marks the second such facility provided to Uganda. The first Level 2 hospital, delivered previously, played a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing significantly to Uganda’s response efforts and saving numerous lives, Africom noted.
Ahead of the transfer, soldiers from the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) underwent an intensive training program at the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capabilities Centre in Jinja from October 14 to 29. The training equipped UPDF personnel with skills in hospital setup, operations, and dismantling to enable efficient deployment in emergencies.
“This initiative reflects the United States’ dedication to enhancing health care and humanitarian response capabilities as part of the more than 60-year partnership with the Ugandan people,” said US Ambassador to Uganda William Popp.
Africom emphasized that most US defense support in Uganda is directed toward health programs that benefit Ugandan citizens. While health programs constituted less than 3% of the nearly $1 billion in US aid to Uganda in 2023, they accounted for almost two-thirds of US security cooperation funds, with additional support allocated for human rights training, legal support, and peacekeeping in Somalia.
