Uganda


  • Population – 34,612,250
  • Infant Mortality Rate - 62.47 deaths/1,000 live births
  • Life Expectancy – 53.24 years
  • Population below poverty line – 35%
  • Year ChildFund entered Uganda – 1980

Quick Facts

  • Uganda is a landlocked country in eastern Africa.
  • Uganda has approximately the same landmass as the UK.
  • Uganda has a population growth of about 3.4% annually.
  • Uganda has the second highest annual birth rate in the world. The fertility rate is approximately 6.7 children per women.
  • Uganda’s main industries are:  sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles and cement. The main sources of agriculture are: coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco and beef. Uganda’s main exports are:  coffee, fish and fish products, tea, gold and cotton.
  • English is the official language in Uganda. Ganda or Luganda and many other local languages are also spoken.
  • The currency is the Ugandan shilling.

Priority Issues

  • Northern Uganda, an area affected by conflict for the last 19 years is the poorest region of Uganda with 61% of the population living below the poverty line.
  • Maternal and infant mortality rates are high as there is a chronic lack of trained health workers.
  • It is estimated that there are 2 million orphans in Uganda.
  • Despite the reported decline in the HIV prevalence rate from 18.7% in the early 1990s to 5% in 2002, AIDS related deaths have remained high due to limited access to anti-retroviral therapy (ART).
  • HIV prevalence in Uganda has been declining since its peak in 1992, when some urban sites registered a prevalence rate of over 30 per cent (Uganda AIDS Commission 2001). At the end of 2003, approximately 4.1% of the total adult population (i.e. ages 15-49) was HIV positive (UNAIDS, 2004). However, it is likely that the number of reported AIDS cases in rural districts falls short of the true number.
  • 14% of infants were born with a low birth weight between the years 2005-2009.
  • Domestic violence is a big problem in Uganda; a recent UNICEF survey shows that approximately 70% of adolescents aged 15-19 surveyed think that a husband is justified in hitting or beating his wife under certain circumstances.

ChildFund Intervention

ChildFund Uganda was established in 1980 to aid children and families affected by internal and regional political conflict. Currently approximately 784,000 children and family members are assisted, of whom about 335 have Irish sponsors.  Innovative programmes address the specific needs of individual communities in ChildFund locations. ChildFund Uganda works for the wellbeing of children by supporting locally led initiatives that strengthen families and communities.

ChildFund’s programmes are comprehensive incorporating health, education, nutrition and livelihood interventions that protect, nurture and develop children in a sustainable way. The following are examples of ChildFund’s programme initiatives to promote the well-being of children, families and communities in Uganda.

In addition to working to prevent the spread of HIV, people suffering from HIV & AIDS need care and treatment. In 2006, ChildFund Ireland and ChildFund Uganda began working together on Irish Aid funded projects to provide protection for orphans and vulnerable children in the districts of Luwero, Kiboga, Masindi and Wakiso.  The programme addresses the unique social and materials needs of children affected by HIV&AIDS and the needs of their caregivers.  The needs of orphans and vulnerable children vary by district and each district was encouraged to develop innovative strategies to address the most urgent issues, using existing social and community structures within the broader context of HIV prevention, care and support.  The programme aimed to strengthen families’, caregivers’ and communities’ income generating capacities and to provide vocational training for youth, particularly targeting girls identified as being vulnerable to sexual exploitation.

But HIV/AIDS is not the only disease afflicting the people of Uganda. Malaria is also a major concern. ChildFund Uganda implements a malaria prevention programme which teaches children how to prevent and control the disease, including providing treated bed nets to families. The children who have participated in this programme say they can now pass on the information they have acquired to their families.

Using community-based structures, ChildFund helps the Ministry of Health encourage families to immunise their children. In addition, they conduct water and sanitation campaigns to promote better sanitation in Uganda as well as the use of safe, clean water. Pit latrines are provided for families. In communities such as Buwenge, the percentage of families with pit latrines has increased from 43 to 95%, and in select communities, new water systems have been implemented with community health workers and staff monitoring these systems.

To ensure the opportunity for all children to receive quality education, ChildFund provides uniforms, scholastic materials and tuition assistance. ChildFund assisted projects have built and furnished classrooms that provide remedial teaching for enrolled students. Additionally, ChildFund Uganda supports girl child programmes that focus on the rights of women and the girl child by promoting education for girls.

 

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