KAMPALA. Mental health experts and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) officials have raised concerns over an alarming heights in mental health challenges among students, with more than 90,000 cases recorded in the city in the past 12 months.
This spike is connected to depression, substance abuse, and a growing number of suicide attempts among learners. According to KCCA data, 90,530 cases of mental health disorders were registered between July 2024 and June 2025, marking a 12.2 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Speaking during the World Mental Health Day commemoration at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Kampala Campus, Ms Sharifah Buzeki, the KCCA executive director, described the situation as a “national public health emergency.”
“It could not be more timely than now. This year’s theme reminds us that mental health cannot be ignored, but must be at the core of how we prepare for and respond to community shocks,” she said. Ms Buzeki noted that many people suffer in silence for fear of judgment.
She revealed that the most common mental health conditions reported in Kampala include epilepsy (29 percent), bipolar disorder (19 percent), schizophrenia (14 percent), anxiety disorders (6.6 percent), substance and alcohol use disorders (6.3 percent), and depression (5.3 percent). At the same event, Dr Bitjuma Luwedde, a national mental health trainer, warned of a worrying rise in suicide cases among students in both secondary schools and higher institutions of learning. “We are seeing an upsurge in suicides and suicide attempts caused by academic pressure, post Covid-19 trauma, family conflict, financial hardship, bullying, and unmet emotional needs,” she said.
Dr Luwedde added that drug abuse, sports betting, and addiction to online platforms have worsened the crisis.
“What we are witnessing is only the tip of the iceberg. The absence of a coordinated national response, weak community support systems, and limited data make the situation even more dangerous,” she said.
Mental health challenge
Dr Luwedde said Uganda still faces significant obstacles in scaling up mental health care, citing low budget allocations, centralised psychiatric services, shortage of trained personnel, and lack of psychosocial programmes in schools and workplaces. However, she acknowledged that the Ministry of Health has made progress by training primary healthcare workers to manage mental health conditions.
“We are encouraged by Parliament’s recent call to double mental health funding from one percent to two percent of the national health budget. This is a step in the right direction,” she added.
Dr Twaha Kasule, the director of IUIU Kampala Campus, commended KCCA for its collaboration with universities and health institutions to improve access to mental health services.