Children, health & education

Around 69 % of adults in Uganda can read and write and since 1996 primary education was made free, which has increased the number of children who get to go to school. Diseases still take the lives for children and nearly half of the country’s 2 million orphans lose their parents to AIDS. However Uganda has managed to reduce the percentage of people with HIV/AIDS from 20% in the 1980’s to 7 % today.

Around half of all people don’t have access to healthcare and things are particularly bad in the north. Life expectancy is 48 years of age.

For children living in northern Uganda things are tough. Hundreds of children are bringing up and supporting families with little or no support and other children survive by begging or stealing. Within the IDP camps children can find it difficult, especially if they are child mothers, ex-child soldiers, orphans, ill or unable to look after themselves and they can experience neglect or abuse.