The Ministry of Health led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Diana Atwine together with the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Local Government, Education and Sports, Gender, Labour and Social Development and the Health Service Commission convened a National Social Services Committee (SSC) meeting aimed at strengthening coordination and improving service delivery in communities through the Parish Development Model (PDM).

The meeting brought together Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), District Health Officers (DHOs), District Education Officers (DEOs) and District Community Development Officers (DCDOs) from across the country.

Government announced that the Social Services Committee will be piloted in the districts of Kyotera, Omoro, Namutumba, Rubirizi, Mayuge, Ngora and Nakasongola. The pilot phase will focus on improving indicators in health, education, nutrition, sanitation, surveillance and social protection while strengthening community participation.

“The Social Services Committee discussions are critical as we strengthen implementation of the Parish Development Model, especially the 4th pillar on social services,” Dr. Diana Atwine said.

Mr. Ben Kumumanya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, called for a whole-of-government approach including conducting community barazas to improve citizen feedback, accountability and awareness of available public services.

Ms. Kedrace Turyagenda, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sports Uganda, expressed confidence in the commitment of leadership at both national and sub-national levels in ensuring improved communities and villages across Uganda.

Mr. Aggrey David Kibenge, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, said the meeting and the pilot phase present an opportunity for ministries and districts to work together and inform future scale up efforts aimed at improving service delivery.

Dr. Christine Chiedeza, speaking on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Uganda, reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to support the operationalization of the Social Services Committees with a focus on strengthening planning, coordination and monitoring of services at all levels.

Discussions during the meeting highlighted the role of Parish Chiefs, Sub-county Chiefs, Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) and other community structures in strengthening service delivery and monitoring progress at the grassroots level.

The ministries and pilot districts also committed to nominate focal persons to support implementation and coordination of the Social Services Committees at both national and sub-national levels.

A follow-up review meeting has been scheduled for September 9, 2026 to assess progress and share lessons from the implementation in the seven pilot districts.