Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Executive Director of Butabika National Referral Hospital, Dr Juliet Nakku has revealed that the country does not have a secure forensic psychiatry ward. Appearing before the Committee on Health on Wednesday, 08 April 2026, Nakku called for urgent recruitment of forensic psychiatrists to …
Read More »Butabika takes over drug injection treatment as NGO funding dries up
Kampala, Uganda | URN | Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital has taken over a critical addiction treatment programme for people who inject drugs, following the withdrawal of donor funding that had sustained it since 2020, raising concerns about continuity of care for hundreds of patients. The treatment, known as Medically Assisted …
Read More »Butabika grappling with funding gap amid rise in mental illness
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital has a funding deficit of Shs102 billion to effectively run its wage, non-wage and capital development priorities, according to Executive Director, Dr. Juliet Nakku. While appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (Central Government) on Monday, 16 March 2025, Dr. …
Read More »Uganda adopts Community Mental Health Model amid severe shortage of psychiatrists
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | With only 20 psychiatrists serving a population of over 46 million, the Ministry of Health has announced a shift in its mental healthcare strategy, emphasizing community-based care to ease pressure on national facilities like Butabika National Referral Hospital. Speaking at a press conference on …
Read More »Butabika admits 10,300 patients, majority teens
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & URN | Butabika Mental Psychiatric Hospital has expressed concern about the increase in the number of people living with mental illness. According to Dr Juliet Nakku, the Executive Director at Butabika Mental Hospital, the most affected patients are now children and youth below the …
Read More »Ugandan study shows more women battling mental illness
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A joint study conducted by Butabika Hospital and Makerere University has found that more women are battling severe anxiety and depression than their male counterparts, who are mostly affected by alcohol abuse. Up to 2,067 people were sampled from the districts of Kapchorwa, Adjumani, Bushenyi, …
Read More »Sexual assault of mental health patients at Butabika
Women are raped, patients and others say. But accusers frequently aren’t believed, and justice is rare Kampala, Uganda | APOPHIA AGIRESAASI | The first time CJ was hospitalised for bipolar disorder, she alleges, a staff member who worked in security raped her one evening. She had been admitted at Butabika …
Read More »MEDICS: Criminalise use of cannabis and khat
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Director of Butabika National Referral Referral Hospital, Dr. Juliet Nakku has implored Members of Parliament to ignore the economic pressures, and ban the production and sale of cannabis and khat. Nakku said that their consumption contributes greatly to mental health cases and poses …
Read More »Uganda faces surge in internet addiction-related mental health cases
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Psychiatrists are reporting a new wave of mental illness caused by excessive internet use and digital platform addiction. Termed “internet addiction,” this emerging mental health issue has led to at least 318 cases being admitted at the Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital in Kampala. …
Read More »School of psychiatric clinical officers operating with three tutors
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Experts at Butabika School of psychiatric clinical officers have asked the government to hire more tutors. Dr. Juliet Nakku, the Executive Director at Butabika Mental Hospital said the school is grossly understaffed with only three tutors and the principal. She said that if adequate staffing is …
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