Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Education and Sports has recorded a rise in the number of male students choosing nursing, a profession long associated almost exclusively with women.
This trend was observed at the release of results from the December 2025 assessment series conducted by the Uganda Health Professions Assessment Board (UHPAB).
Hellen Mukakalisa Kataratambi, the Executive Secretary Uganda Health Professions Assessment Board, said that more men are enrolling in nursing programmes at certificate and diploma levels, which is among the most visible shifts in health training.
In the Diploma in Nursing (Direct Entry), which admits A-level leavers, male candidates outnumbered females this year, with 81 men enrolling compared to just 42 women.
The Diploma in Nursing – Extension, an upgrading programme for enrolled nurses, attracted 671 men alongside 1,066 women.
At the certificate level, male students numbered 3,464 against 6,633 females, meaning men now make up close to half the cohort in what was once considered a female-dominated field.
The Principal Public Relations Officer of UHPAB, Agnes Wadda, explained that increasing numbers of male students are taking science combinations at A-level.
“Some who narrowly miss the high points needed for medical school are turning to nursing as a credible pathway into healthcare, particularly through direct-entry diploma programmes,”
Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, offered additional context, noting that the government’s decision to close the route into Grade III primary teaching has redirected many students and parents toward technical and vocational education and training (TVET), with health sciences, especially nursing, proving particularly attractive.
Dr. Turyagyenda also linked the development to broader social change. She said that rigid gender stereotypes and traditional roles are steadily eroding, and jobs once seen as exclusively for men are now open to women, and the reverse is equally true.
While the influx of male nurses is widely welcomed as a step toward a more balanced and resilient healthcare workforce, one restriction remains: male students are still barred from midwifery training at diploma and certificate levels, though opportunities exist at the degree level.
The Ministry of Education says it is closely monitoring the trend to guide future curriculum reforms, recruitment drives, and efforts to eliminate outdated perceptions in the profession.
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