In Uganda, FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, a standard for exchanging healthcare data electronically) is widely used to exchange healthcare data. It plays a major role in the country's digital health activities.

The main version in use is FHIR R4. This is one of the most stable and widely adopted versions of the standard worldwide.

Looking ahead, we expect a strong increase in FHIR adoption across Uganda in the coming years.

Rules and Support

Uganda has clear regulations supporting FHIR adoption:

  • There are rules in place that require the use of standards for electronic health data exchange.
  • FHIR is specifically mandated by these regulations.
  • A deadline for compliance is included.
  • Government funds are available to help organizations adopt FHIR.

Data safety is also an important focus area within Uganda's health data regulations.

National Setup

Uganda has built a strong foundation for FHIR:

  • A national organization is responsible for health data standards.
  • A national base FHIR implementation guide exists and is widely used. An implementation guide explains how to apply FHIR in a specific country or use case.
  • A national FHIR terminology server is live in production. This server provides standardized medical codes and terms that systems can share.

Active Use Cases

FHIR specifications are being developed in Uganda for several areas:

  • Prescriptions and pharmacy
  • Public health reporting
  • Consent
  • Clinical decision support
  • Imaging
  • Immunizations
  • Patient access

Uganda also builds on international standards, including:

  • International Patient Summary
  • International Patient Access

A notable successful project is Prior Authorization Automation, which uses FHIR to streamline approval processes for healthcare services.

Who's Using FHIR

The main stakeholders adopting FHIR in Uganda are government agencies.

The main reasons for adoption include:

  • Improving health outcomes
  • Improving care workflows
  • Giving patients better access to their data

In terms of how FHIR is used:

  • FHIR Documents (structured documents shared between systems) are widely applied.
  • SMART on FHIR (a framework for building secure healthcare apps) is also widely applied.

Uganda relies mainly on open source FHIR software rather than commercial products.

Successes and Challenges

What's working well:

  • Prior Authorization Automation as a real-world success story
  • Strong government leadership and regulation
  • A widely used national implementation guide

Main challenges:

  • Lack of FHIR knowledge across the workforce
  • Inadequate IT infrastructure
  • Concerns that the rise of AI/ML may slow down structured data efforts

Despite the AI trend, there is strong agreement in Uganda that investing in FHIR and structured data remains essential. AI cannot replace the value of well-structured health data.

Future Plans

Looking back at the past year, Uganda made the progress it expected, and stakeholders are satisfied with the current pace of FHIR adoption.

Key achievements include:

  • Development of new FHIR standards for specific use cases
  • Launch of pilot projects with selected healthcare stakeholders

In the coming year, we expect:

  • New regulations that further prescribe the use of standards in electronic health data exchange

Looking three years ahead, there is strong confidence that FHIR adoption will deliver real benefits, including cost savings, better care coordination, and a stronger digital health ecosystem.

Contributors

  • Janat Kawooya, Ministry of Health (ICT Officer)

The above summary is based on the answers to the State of FHIR Survey 2026, organized by Firely and HL7 International.