The Allied Health Professionals Council is a corporate body established under the Allied Health Professionals Act Cap. 268 to regulate, supervise, and control the training and practice of the Allied Health Professionals in Uganda. The Council was established to protect the public by maintaining up-to-date registers of registered and licensed professionals, private health units, and recognized training institutions which are published in the Uganda Gazette every year. All employers and the general public are encouraged to always refer to the registers at all times to prevent illegal practitioners or non-recognized health training institutions.

The professions regulated by the Council to practice in Uganda are many and of late more are expressing interest to be registered. The Council and stakeholders shall do whatever it takes to ensure that all eligible applicants are registered and licensed prior to practice within Uganda. I encourage all professionals and applicants to contact and make use of the office of the District Allied Health Supervisors across the country for registration and licensing purposes to avoid traveling long distances yet services are available nearer to them.

All Allied Health Professionals are reminded that it is an offense for someone to claim that s/he is registered and licensed with Council while not or to use a protected title that he/she is not entitled to. Adequate resources are being allocated for regular inspection and supervision by regional and district allied health supervisory authorities and therefore any person found practicing without a license shall be prosecuted or disciplined in accordance with the Act.

I welcome the new Governing Council headed by Prof. John Charles Okiria as Chairperson appointed by the Minister for a three-year term with effect from 1st July 2021. We hope that from their vast experience, the Council shall be able to achieve what is outlined within its strategic plan and the law.

Appreciation goes to the Ministry of Health, other Health Professional Councils within and out of Uganda, the African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation, Strengthening Human Resources for Health as well as other Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and Local Governments for support extended to Council in the last few years.