International Programmes:
Over three decades of international partnerships. Today, building stronger health systems in Uganda.
Mildmay partners with local organisations in East Africa to expand access to quality, integrated and inclusive care, and to support locally led solutions for sustainable change.
Improving Health, Strengthening Systems
and Saving Lives
Our programmes are designed to respond to today's realities.
Since 1993, Mildmay has worked alongside governments, civil society and local partners across East Africa, combining compassionate, community-centred care with specialist expertise.
Our international work began in response to the HIV epidemic, and that foundation in HIV care continues to shape our approach today.
Our work is now focused on Uganda, where we partner with communities, hospitals and NGOs to strengthen essential services, particularly where access is limited by geography, poverty, or disability.
Why Uganda needs this work
HIV remains a major global public health issue, having claimed an estimated 44.1 million lives to date. Transmission is ongoing in all countries globally. While there is no cure for HIV infection, access to effective prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care enables people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives. In Uganda, HIV remains a significant concern:
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approximately 4.9% of adults aged 15 - 49 living with HIV
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about 1.4 million people are living with HIV in Uganda (2024/2025)
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About 1.2 million people are receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)
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and prevention gaps persist among vulnerable groups such as adolescents and rural communities.
Rapidly increasing non-communicable disease prevalence, ageing populations, and limited access to specialist and palliative care services add further strain to already stretched health systems. An estimated 500,000 Ugandans require palliative care, yet only 11% receive it*.
Health systems also need stronger diagnostic and referral capacities to prevent avoidable morbidity and mortality from treatable conditions.
leaders and health systems, delivering integrated specialist care across the entire pathway - from prevention and diagnosis to treatment, rehabilitation, and compassionate palliative support. This work extends well beyond HIV, encompassing non-communicable diseases, maternal health, and disability-inclusive rehabilitation. Our new Uganda Health Programme is designed to meet today's needs.
Our approach
Our response is to draw on three decades of partnership experience to collaborate with local
Mildmay Uganda became a fully independent, locally led NGO in 2010. It remains our primary partner in East Africa today - the Uganda Health Programme, Education Exchange Programme, Partner-led Small Project Fund and Universal Fund below are all delivered directly in partnership with their team.
Programmes in Focus:
Family area, JOY Health Centre, Mbale
An ambitious programme to expand access to essential care in underserved communities across Uganda.
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Comprehensive services: Maternity, newborn and child health, HIV and HIV‑related neurological care, non‑communicable diseases, disability‑inclusive rehabilitation, and palliative support.
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First centre: Rebuilding JOY Health Centre & Hospice (Mbale) into a 30+ bed, disability‑inclusive regional hub.
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Integrated model: Diagnostics, outpatient and inpatient care, community outreach, telemedicine, and referral pathways.
Innovation and Exchange
NHS GPs Dr. Helena Rochford and Dr. Amy Cleese piloting the Education Exchange Programme at Kumi Hospital.
Bridging the gap between the NHS and East Africa.
UK trainee GPs and clinicians undertake placements at Mildmay Uganda Hospital, sharing skills and bringing invaluable resource-limited clinical experience back to the UK health system.
Backing locally led ideas that improve health, dignity and care where they are needed most.
Small, low-cost projects identified by Mildmay Uganda and frontline partners that can be rapidly designed, funded and delivered to address practical gaps in care.
These targeted initiatives allow us to test solutions, respond quickly to emerging needs, and deliver immediate, tangible benefits for people, such as adherence tools and simple service improvements, while informing wider programme development.
When N became pregnant during Uganda's 2021 lockdown, her dream of becoming a lawyer looked over. With support from the Universal Fund, she safely delivered her daughter, learned a trade, and returned to school. She sits her exams this November.
Since 2002, more than 2,000 children and adolescents have received psychosocial services and economic support.
By moving to a Universal Fund model, we ensure that healthcare, education, and food security are delivered equitably to all young people in our care, regardless of individual sponsorship status.
Our focus is on strengthening health systems
Since 1998, Mildmay's international work has evolved from direct service delivery to local empowerment; building capacity, improving infrastructure, and supporting locally led solutions that outlast our involvement.
Strengthening frontline Services
We improve the facilities and services communities depend on. On Mageta Island, Kenya, we refurbished the only health centre for 12,000 people, equipping it with solar lighting, a maternity suite and essential diagnostics, and deployed a tuk-tuk ambulance that reached over 6,000 women annually.
Building capacity
We train and mentor local health workers to deliver high-quality care independently. Between 2008 and 2011, we trained over 120 healthcare and rehabilitation workers across Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Romania and Moldova. Through our Education Exchange Programme, UK clinicians now undertake placements at Mildmay Uganda Hospital, gaining experience in resource-limited settings that strengthens their practice and, in turn, the NHS.
Championing inclusion
We support locally led programmes that reach those most often left behind. The Universal Fund, run by Mildmay Uganda and supported by Mildmay UK donors, many of whom have given for years through its earlier child sponsorship incarnations, provides education, psychosocial support, vocational training and healthcare to the most vulnerable children and young people in Uganda. Over 1,980 supported since 2002.
Sustainable partnerships
We build for the long term, not the duration of a grant.
Mildmay Kenya became a fully independent NGO in 2024, following the same model that made Mildmay Uganda self-sustaining in 2010.
Integrated care
We combine clinical, community and home-based support across the full care pathway. Ruth, supported by the Universal Fund from primary school through to nursing school, is now a qualified nurse giving back to her community in Uganda.
Data-driven planning
We track outcomes and adjust programmes to reflect real need. Annual Universal Fund reporting across education, vocational training and psychosocial support allows us to direct resources to where they are needed most.
Mobilising support
We raise funds in the UK to sustain locally led programmes in Uganda, channelling donor support directly to partners who understand their communities and are best placed to lead. Our aim is to be a trusted fundraising and accountability bridge between UK supporters and the people their giving reaches.
Advocacy and policy engagement
We work with ministries and communities to shift systems, not just deliver services. On Mageta Island, the presence of our ambulance service prompted local political action to improve roads, a small intervention with consequences beyond healthcare.
In the 1990s, Mildmay was called to extend its expertise to some of the areas where HIV and AIDS were hitting hardest.
Mildmay International’s legacy is one of success. We have successfully transitioned major programmes in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe to local government or NGO leadership. Mildmay Uganda remains our active partner today. Read more in our programme archive.
Get Involved
We raise funds in the UK for these and other projects.
Mildmay International previously led our overseas work until it was wound up at the end of 2024. As programmes matured and were successfully handed over to local NGOs, this work became part of Mildmay’s main charity, which continues that legacy today.