Government to overhaul nursing training, phase out low-enrollment courses

Uganda is set to overhaul its nursing and midwifery training system, introducing new exam rules, stricter classroom ratios, and phasing out underperforming courses.

KAMPALA, Uganda — The Ugandan government is launching a sweeping overhaul of nursing and midwifery training across the country to align medical education with modern international standards and domestic vocational laws.

The initiative will update decades-old curricula, phase out underperforming academic programs, and introduce strict new limits on student-to-teacher ratios, according to official details published in a national news report seen in Screenshot_20260623-054055.jpg.

The Uganda Health Professions Assessment Board, which oversees the examination of nurses, midwives, and allied health workers, is leading the multi-phase review. Hellen Mukakarisa Kataratambi, the executive secretary of the board, said the updates will bring nursing assessments in line with the requirements of the nation’s Technical Vocational Education and Training Act.

Board officials noted that several courses have not seen a curriculum revision in over a decade. Initial updates will target foundational programs, including the direct diploma in midwifery, as well as certificates in laboratory techniques, environmental health, and mental health nursing.

A major driver of the restructuring is a severe decline in enrollment across several specialized medical fields. Board officials revealed that over the last five years, programs such as the nursing extension course, the diploma in mental health nursing, and the higher diploma in clinical psychiatry have each yielded fewer than 10 candidates for final examinations nationwide.

Other specialized tracks experiencing critically low enrollment include advanced diplomas in palliative care and public health nursing, alongside diplomas in physiotherapy, pediatric care, and specialized surgeries of the ear, nose, and throat.

Board spokesperson Agnes Wadda said the agency is still finalizing which specific low-enrollment programs will be permanently discontinued and what new courses will be introduced to meet evolving global healthcare demands.

The restructuring also introduces stringent classroom and clinical limits mandated by the National Education and Training for Health Policy. The policy establishes a maximum ratio of one instructor for every 30 to 40 students during standard classroom lectures. For hands-on laboratory and simulation training, the ratio tightens to a maximum of 15 students per trainer.

During clinical internships, the guidelines restrict supervisors to managing no more than 10 students at a time, with a specific preceptor-to-intern ratio of 1-to-5 or 1-to-8 depending on hospital ward acuity and the complexity of cases.

Once the assessment board completes its evaluation, the revised rules and curricula will be forwarded to the TVET Council and subsequently to Janet Museveni, the first lady and minister of education and sports, for final approval before being implemented nationwide.

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