Approximately 428,000 children aged 6–59 months and 84,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women are suffering or expected to suffer from acute malnutrition across 43 districts in Uganda between March 2025 to February 2026 and require urgent nutrition support or treatment. The highest is reported in Karamoja with three districts classified in IPC AMN Phase 4 (Critical) and four districts classified in IPC AMN Phase 3 (Serious).

Key factors fuelling acute malnutrition include high climate vulnerability—driven by arid to semi-arid conditions and prolonged dry spells that restrict access to reliable and sufficient water—intersects with poor agro-ecological potential, including marginal pastoral and agricultural zones characterized by rocky, infertile soils. Livelihoods are predominantly pastoralist, supplemented by limited single-season crop farming, but remain constrained by low dietary diversity and recurring seasonal food insecurity.

• Scale up case identification and treatment of acute malnutrition (both SAM and MAM cases) for both children and women especially in areas of high acute malnutrition.
• Strengthen Maternal, Infant, Young Child and Adolescent Nutrition (MIYCAN) practices at both health facilities and community levels.
• Strengthening the Integrated Community Case Management (ICCM) especially for areas classified in IPC AMN Phase 3 or above.
• Strengthening community outreaches and active case findings and referrals.
• Strengthen anticipatory actions for potential disease outbreaks.
• Strengthen prevention, testing and treatment of common childhood illnesses (malaria, fever, diarrhoea).
• Scale up anaemia prevention and treatment interventions among children and women of reproductive age.
• Improve coverage of Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices such as access to sufficient water and sanitation facilities in affected areas.