Global Fund’s Linden Morrison Visits NHLDS
Kampala: 21st November/2025.
The National Health Laboratory and Diagnostic Services (NHLDS) recently hosted Mr. Linden Morrison, the Global Fund’s High-Impact Head for Africa, in a high-level visit that signals potential expansion of support for Uganda’s laboratory systems.
Mr. Morrison was formally received by Dr. Susan Nabadda, Commissioner of NHLDS, alongside the institution’s senior management team. The delegation embarked on a guided tour of the national laboratory facility, observing its infrastructure and capabilities in diagnostics, surveillance, and specialized testing.
Following the tour, the team held a sit-down meeting to explore opportunities for targeted investment and pathways for sustainable, self-financing laboratory services, an increasingly critical priority as partner funding continues to decline.
Mr. Morrison outlined several priority areas where strategic investment could significantly elevate Uganda’s laboratory sector. He emphasized opportunities to scale high-impact diagnostics, strengthen biosafety and quality assurance systems and accelerate innovations that improve efficiency and sustainability. He noted that targeted funding in these areas would not only enhance national preparedness but also position Uganda’s laboratory network to serve as a regional center of excellence.
In her remarks during the meeting, Dr. Nabadda welcomed Mr. Morrison’s visit, noting that enhanced Global Fund support could accelerate the Ministry’s efforts to modernize laboratory services and close critical gaps.
The Global Fund has a long-term commitment to Uganda’s health sector. Since the early 2000s, it has invested heavily in public health notably in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and system strengthening.
According to the Uganda Country Coordinating Mechanism, more than US$2.03 billion has been disbursed in grants since 2002. Additionally, in the current 2024–2026 funding cycle, the Global Fund has committed US$587 million (about UGX 2 trillion) toward HIV, TB, and malaria programmes in Uganda.
