A review of COVID-19 and the health equality dilemma in Uganda

Uganda’s development response over the years, where we have seen impressively high economic growth rates that have not translated into a better life for the poorest and most vulnerable such as women, has spilled into its COVID-19 response. This paper discusses the ways in which approaches to development- with focus on health sector- that do not include the poorest and most vulnerable will combine with old patriarchy and a global pandemic to leave women worse off. It extracts lessonsfrom Uganda’s ongoing COVID-19 response and makes recommendations on short term measures to make the response more inclusive and cognizant of existing inequalities, and work towards resolving rather than compounding them. It also suggests long term measures that post-pandemic, can be used to address health inequalities.