New study published on Thursday shows that in Uganda, mental health cases reported to health facilities have increased by more than 70 per cent over the past four years.

Speaking at the launch of the State of Uganda Population Report 2025, Minister for Health Ruth Aceng said the evidence presented is deeply concerning, with cases rising to 843,295 from 494,326.

Aceng said fewer than one in 10 people who need care receive appropriate support due to infrastructure gaps, workforce shortages and stigma, among other factors.

The report shows that depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, substance misuse and psychosocial distress are affecting millions of Ugandans, including about 23 per cent of children and 24 per cent of adults, as well as large numbers of adolescents and young people navigating school pressures, unemployment and social uncertainty.

“These are not abstract statistics; they represent families under strain, classrooms disrupted, workplaces diminished in productivity and communities carrying silent pain,” the minister said while presenting the report.

According to the report, the economic impact of the situation is enormous. In 2021, direct expenditure on mental health amounted to Ush137.3 billion ($38.2 million).

Indirect losses from absenteeism reached Ush696.6 billion, bringing the total annual cost to Ush833.9 billion. The report warns that if the situation remains without intervention, total economic losses are projected to increase from about $1.1 billion in 2024 to $4.5 billion by 2040.

“The truth is simple and unavoidable: the cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of strategic action,” Aceng said. She said the government will mobilise domestic and international financing aimed at implementing measures to combat the rising number of mental health cases.

The report said that without accelerated investment in prevention, early identification, and community-based mental health services, productivity losses could undermine the country’s long-term development goals, including those outlined in the Fourth National Development Plan.

• A Tell Media / Xinhua report