At the time of writing (31st March), Uganda has 44 reported cases of COVID-19, and approximately 1,800 people are under quarantine. Uganda has been very effective so far in its response to outbreaks and President Museveni is spearheading efforts to control the pandemic. Social distancing measures are being enacted such as closures of schools and religious buildings, public gatherings, the suspension of public transport and closures of shops and malls. The relative youthfulness of the Ugandan population may be protective. If the pandemic spreads in Uganda as fast as it has done worldwide, private medicine outlets including drug shops will be on the frontline of the response. They will thus need resources so that they are well-trained and supported to help contain the virus. This blog post makes the case for scaling up the involvement of these actors in the pandemic response.