The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) to address pollution-related health risks and strengthen Uganda’s capacity to manage environmental health challenges.
NEMA’s Executive Director, Dr Barirega Akankwasah, and a representative from Global Alliance signed the MoU at NEMA House in Kampala, formalising a partnership that will guide the development and implementation of Uganda’s National Health and Pollution Action Plan (HPAP) under NEMA’s Environmental Pollution Programme.
According to NEMA, the MoU aims “to strengthen Uganda’s capacity to tackle pollution and its related health impacts through the development of a National Health and Pollution Action Plan (HPAP).”
The five-year agreement builds on previous collaboration between NEMA and GAHP on a pilot project that focused on lead pollution. The new framework expands the partnership to address broader pollution challenges, including air pollution, unsafe water, poor waste management, and hazardous chemicals — all of which continue to threaten public health and the environment.
“This partnership is a critical step in strengthening Uganda’s environmental health governance,” said NEMA in a statement. “Through the HPAP, we are creating a roadmap that identifies our most pressing pollution challenges and prioritises solutions that protect both people and nature.”
GAHP will provide technical expertise, financial support, and global best practices to guide the HPAP development process. The plan will be crafted through a consultative, multi-stakeholder approach involving government agencies, civil society, academia, and development partners.
“The HPAP will be developed through a consultative, multi-stakeholder process to identify Uganda’s most pressing pollution challenges and to prioritise evidence-based, actionable interventions aimed at protecting public health and the environment,” NEMA noted in a statement.
Under the MoU, NEMA will take the lead in coordinating national efforts, ensuring alignment with Uganda’s environmental and public health policies, and engaging relevant actors throughout the process.
“We are proud to continue our collaboration with GAHP, building on our successful lead pollution project,” the statement added. “This new phase formalises our shared commitment to tackling pollution in all its forms and safeguarding the well-being of Ugandans.”
The partnership reinforces Uganda’s determination to reduce pollution-related health risks and advance sustainable development through stronger cross-sectoral cooperation.