"Uganda’s ID scheme excludes nearly a third from healthcare, says report"

Up to a third of adults in Uganda have been excluded from vital healthcare and social services because they do not have national ID cards, according to a report. Women and elderly people have been particularly affected by the introduction of the digital identity cards, which are required to access government and private sector healthcare, to claim social benefits, to vote and to open bank accounts or buy sim cards...

One of the nurses interviewed said ID cards should not prevent access to healthcare, which was “a matter of life and death”. The report called on the government to stop requiring ID cards to access essential services. Its authors also called on the World Bank, UN agencies and donors to urge the Ugandan government to “do everything in its power to prevent further wholesale exclusion and related human rights violations” that result from the mandatory use of the cards, referred to as “Ndaga Muntu”.