Many hospital services are out of reach of ordinary Ugandans who cannot afford insurance. FILE PHOTO From Medical Crisis to Financial Security: Why insurance matters COMMENT | JOAN NANKYA | For more than six years, my daily work has centred on medical insurance, reviewing claims, managing provider networks, and developing solutions that protect individuals and families from the financial burden of illness. Yet the most memorable part of this work has never been the numbers.
The calls that stay with me are not from corporate clients discussing policy renewals. They are from distressed families standing at hospital reception desks, desperately trying to secure emergency treatment for a loved one while scrambling to raise the cash deposit required before care can begin. Those moments reveal an uncomfortable reality about healthcare in Uganda: illness is often not only a medical emergency but also a financial one.
When someone falls seriously ill, the first question many families ask is not, ‘Which doctor should we see?’ It is, ‘How are we going to pay for this?’. This is more than an individual hardship; it is a national challenge. According to the World Health Organization and Uganda’s Ministry of Health, out-of-pocket payments account for roughly one-third of Uganda’s current health expenditure.
In practical terms, millions of Ugandans pay directly for healthcare at the point of service, exposing households to financial hardship whenever serious illness strikes. A severe malaria infection, complications during childbirth, emergency surgery after a road traffic accident, or the long-term management of chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension can erase years of savings within days. Beyond medical bills, families often face lost income, interrupted education, and difficult decisions about selling assets simply to afford treatment.
For generations, Ugandans have relied on informal support systems to cope with these situations. Savings groups, family contributions, community fundraisers, WhatsApp appeals, and emergency loans have become familiar responses whenever illness strikes. These acts of solidarity reflect the strength of our communities, but they are reactive.
They help after financial damage has already occurred rather than preventing it. Medical insurance offers a different approach.
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