Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council: Doctor Licensing Ratios Expose Healthcare Capacity Concerns

• Uganda has approximately one actively licensed doctor for every 6,385 people.
• Only 7,871 out of 10,951 registered doctors have active licences for the 2026 practice year.
• The doctor shortage in Uganda is particularly evident in public hospitals, where staffing shortages can leave health workers attending to large numbers of patients.
• The uneven distribution of doctors across the country exacerbates access to medical care, especially in rural areas.

The UMDPC figures show that approximately one actively licensed doctor is available for every 6,385 people, or about 15.7 doctors for every 100,000 people.

Uganda's population is projected to surpass 50 million by the end of 2026, raising concerns about the adequacy of its medical workforce. The country has a total of 10,951 doctors registered with the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC), but only 7,871 have active licences to practise in 2026. This disparity highlights one part of the workforce challenge facing Uganda's health system. The UMDPC figures show that approximately one actively licensed doctor is available for every 6,385 people, or about 15.7 doctors for every 100,000 people. However, this ratio does not necessarily reflect the actual number of doctors available to serve patients in government hospitals, as some may be working in private facilities, academia, research, or other sectors.

The Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC) is responsible for regulating the medical profession in Uganda. The council's data shows that 3,080 doctors are registered but do not have active licences for the 2026 practice year. This gap between registration and active licensing highlights one aspect of the workforce challenge facing Uganda's health system. The UMDPC figures provide an indication of the country's potential medical workforce, rather than the actual number of doctors available to serve patients in public health facilities. The availability of other health professionals, including nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and laboratory personnel, as well as medicines, equipment, and functioning health facilities, also determines how effectively the health system can respond to patients' needs.

The doctor shortage in Uganda has significant implications for access to medical care, particularly in rural areas. The uneven distribution of doctors across the country exacerbates this challenge. For instance, a doctor working in Kampala does not provide the same level of access to patients in Karamoja, West Nile, or rural Bundibugyo. The dispute between the government and medical interns has drawn attention to the wider question of the capacity of Uganda's health system and the number of health workers required to serve a rapidly growing population. Lawyers advising clients on healthcare-related matters in Uganda should be aware of these issues and their potential impact on access to medical care.

Lawyers advising clients on healthcare-related matters in Uganda should be aware of the potential impact of doctor shortages and uneven distribution on access to medical care, particularly in rural areas.

Source: Original reporting via Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council