UNICEF Uganda Annual Report 2025
Building on progress for children in Uganda
Highlights
A year of progress and a turning point for children
As I look back on 2025, I feel both pride in what we have collectively achieved for children in Uganda and a clear sense of the work that still lies ahead. This has been a year of meaningful progress but also a year of transition. UNICEF Uganda's advocacy continued to place the rights of children at the centre of national priorities and strategic dialogue. As the United Nations agency mandated to uphold children's rights, UNICEF's work is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and grounded in a commitment to ensure that every child can survive, develop, be protected and participate fully in society.
Across the country, children benefited from expanded immunization, stronger maternal and newborn care, improved nutrition services and better access to learning. Child protection systems were reinforced, and social protection programmes expanded their reach to those in most need. These gains were made possible by the leadership of government and the dedication of frontline workers, partners and communities who continue to place children at the centre of their efforts, along with the generous contributions of development partners.
At the same time, the context remains demanding. Too many children continue to grow up in poverty. Malnutrition and learning gaps persist. Climate shocks and disease outbreaks strain families and public services. Uganda's continued welcome to refugees reflects remarkable solidarity, yet it also places additional pressure on districts that are already stretched. In my visits across the country, I have seen both the resilience of communities and the urgency of addressing these challenges more decisively.
In 2025 we worked to balance immediate response with long-term reform. Children's well-being depends on services that work together. Health, nutrition, education, water and protection all shape whether a child can grow, learn and thrive. UNICEF therefore continued strengthening integrated approaches that connect these systems so that children and families get access to the social services they are entitled to.
While life-saving services continued at scale, we also invested in strengthening the systems that sustain them. National policies advanced and public financing for children increased, although continued efforts will be needed to sustain and expand these gains. Social service systems were further professionalized, and data and digital platforms were improved to support better planning, implementation and accountability. Humanitarian responses were designed not only to meet urgent needs, but also to build resilience for the future. I am convinced that lasting progress depends on strong national institutions. Services must reach children today, but they must also endure beyond projects and funding cycles.
The year 2025 marked the closing phase of our past Country Programme and the transition to our new Country Programme 2026-2030, Uganda's final programme cycle before the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline. The new UNICEF Uganda Country Programme is closely aligned with Uganda's Fourth National Development Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2026-2030, which together set the strategic direction for national development and United Nations system support in the coming years.
As Uganda prepares to implement the new Country Programme, UNICEF will continue strengthening national systems and partnerships to ensure that children everywhere benefit from resilient health, education, protection and social services. In the years ahead, UNICEF will continue to advocate for accelerated action to address key challenges facing children, for example addressing teenage pregnancies and malnutrition, expanding access to quality early childhood services and strengthening sustainable financing for the social services that children depend on.
The next five years will be critical. We must accelerate progress for children who remain excluded, particularly those living in poverty, children with disabilities, adolescent girls and children in climate-affected and refugee-hosting communities. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF will continue working with the government and partners to ensure that every child can realise their rights to survival, development, protection and participation.
With continued partnership, disciplined focus and sustained investment, I believe Uganda can build on the foundations strengthened in 2025 and move closer to a future in which every child has the opportunity not only to survive, but to learn, to be protected and to thrive. Together with the government, partners and communities, UNICEF remains committed to advancing the rights and well-being of every child across the country.
Dr. Robin Nandy,
UNICEF Country Representative
