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Connect with the Peace Corps
If you're ready for something bigger, we have a place where you belong.
Apply to the Peace Corps
The application process begins by selecting a service model and finding an open position.
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If you are flexible in where you serve for the two-year Peace Corps Volunteer program, our experts can match you with a position and country based on your experience and preferences.
Serve where you’re needed mostPublic Health Program Officer
Health
Job highlights
- Make a meaningful contribution to Uganda’s health outcomes.
- Gain hands-on public health experience and intercultural communication skills.
- Expand your professional public health network to include Ugandan colleagues.
Uganda • Africa
In partnership with: Health facilities, health training institutions, non-governmental organizations
Get answers live — every weekday at .
Apply by
June 15, 2026Know by
August 1, 2026Depart on
January 9, 2027Duration
12 monthsAbout the project
Health facilities, training institutions, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Uganda are working to improve health outcomes in their communities, and you can lend a hand.
Uganda faces pressing public health challenges, including high population density, limited healthcare infrastructure, and a system that invests more in clinical care than preventive health. These issues have deep roots in the country’s history, shaped by decades of underinvestment and rapid population growth. Local health organizations wish to address these challenges by strengthening key aspects of public health implementation, particularly project management, monitoring, and reporting. Stronger public health programs can lead to improved health outcomes, support data-driven decisions, and strengthen Uganda’s primary health care system.
As a Public Health Program Officer, you’ll collaborate with health professionals, community organizations, and community stakeholders to ensure that public health strategies are both evidence-based and culturally sensitive. Together, you will coordinate services, lead community outreach, promote behavior change, as well as ensure health interventions are effectively delivered and aligned with both organizational goals and Uganda’s national health priorities.
Learn more about what Volunteers do in country by visiting our Uganda project page.
Required skills
Qualified candidates will have the following criteria:
Bachelor's degree in public health, community health, social sciences, or a related field.
AND
Two or more years of relevant work experience in public health, preferably in one of the following areas: maternal health, infant and child health, nutrition, malaria control, and the prevention and care for tuberculosis (TB) or HIV/AIDS.
Language: There are no pre-requisite language requirements for this position.
Required behavioral competencies
These competencies are essential for all service assignments and are assessed in the application and interview process:
Motivation for and commitment to service
Adaptability and open-mindedness
Problem solving and resourcefulness
Behavioral maturity and professionalism
Photos from Uganda
How you and the community will make an impact together:
Support the design, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs.
Organize and facilitate training sessions, workshops, and community outreach.
Prepare regular progress reports, success stories, and case studies.
Contribute to the development of concept notes and funding proposals.
Support the development of monitoring and evaluation tools and frameworks.
Strengthen operational efficiency through resource allocation and intervention targeting.
Develop communication materials and advocacy campaigns.
Contribute to digital health platforms and documentation.
You may also work on additional projects that meet the community’s interests and priorities, such as workshops to develop financial literacy or computer skills.
Volunteers will live independently in urban and peri-urban areas of Uganda. Housing will have grid electricity or solar power and running water, but these utilities are unreliable. Mobile internet is widely available, with sufficient speed for video calls.
Learn more about the living conditions, including detailed information on culture, communications, housing, and health/crime statistics on our Uganda country page. You can also delve into stories about local communities by reading our blog or Volunteer stories.
Meet a Volunteer in Uganda
Brenda L.
Medical-Surgical Nurse Educator
"I have been working hard to learn what my students need, and to help them, and I am seeing results. This week I received a text from a student thanking me for being an inspiration and inviting more mentorship—you can imagine how good that made me feel."
See full Volunteer profile
After a two-week orientation on topics such as in-country safety and the Ugandan health system, you will move to an urban or semi-urban community where you will collaborate with the health facility, health training institution, or NGO to assess the local needs and develop a work plan in line with their established goals.
Peace Corps/Uganda will equip you with language resources for the local language in your community, and you may work with a local tutor who can help you build basic language skills to connect with the community.
No couples are accepted for this position.
Application process
From application to departure takes around nine months. Learn about the application process for Volunteer opportunities.
Medical/legal clearance
You will need to be cleared medically and legally in order to serve in Uganda. Review information on medical clearance and legal clearance to learn about the process.
