Photo: © Bob Jones
Some people tend to be pessimistic regarding global health issues. Problems and difficulties make one to believe things will never change. But that is simply not true. The amazing work done by agencies, NGOs and authorities do make a difference for a lot of people and that is undeniable. There are good examples all over the world, but today I will write about two initiatives in Uganda.
After gaining independence from Britain in 1962 (which was followed by some political struggle), Uganda went through eight years of dictatorship during the 1970's: Idi Amin was the ruler between 1971-79. There were mass killings and 300,000 people are believed to have lost their lives. In 1979, the Uganda-Tanzanian war ended the regime but political struggle was a constant until 1986, when Yoweri Museveni (helped by the National Resistance Army) toke the power. He was re-elected this year. However, the conflicts never stopped: the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (in which Uganda was involved), conflicts in the Great Lakes region and the civil war against the Lord's Resistance Army, which has been guilty of numerous crimes against humanity including child slavery and mass murder. Conflict in northern Uganda has killed thousands and displaced millions of people, constraining economic activity and entrenching poverty in the region. The LRA was finally pushed out of Uganda in 2005. So much instability never allowed the country to move forward. Corruption, lack of reforms and poverty are serious problems the country needs to solve. Despite last year's relatively strong economic growth, in 2010 about 25 percent of the population still lived in poverty. The conclusion? Growth is necessary but has to be equitable.
Nevertheless, there are some signs of progress. Uganda has taken seriously the MDGs and the First Lady is personally involved in combating HIV/AIDS. Statistics say 150,000 children below 15 years in Uganda are HIV positive, with only 24,000 accessing HIV treatment out of 98,000 who need it. Uganda’s First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni was requested to play a part on the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015. Adults are responsible for 50 percent of new infections mostly because of multiple concurrent partnerships, so the First Lady called on government leaders to strengthen their efforts in HIV prevention. It's a valuable contribution to engage political leaderships in support of the battle against HIV/AIDS.
Also in Uganda, sixteen villages in Kyenjojo District, western Uganda, have adopted simple but effective sanitation and hygiene practices, like using clean water jugs for hand washing, carefully storing drinking water, harvesting rainwater, and building wooden racks for drying food utensils. UNICEF supported the implementation of community-led sanitation approach for improved hygiene and sanitary behaviors, and improvements in health and living conditions are now a reality. The big aim is to reduce illnesses like diarrhoea, which is one of the top three killers of Ugandan children under five. This project is going to be duplicated in two other districts in Uganda.
Uganda may achieve the goals of universal primary education, gender parity, and combating HIV/AIDS but there are still big challenges ahead if the country wants to become a middle-income country within one generation. Those two examples illustrate the need of interventions which aim to improve people's lives.
read more: G8: 'Poverty in Uganda is the never ending story'
read more: Lives at risk as 90 per cent of Aids drugs in Uganda could be declared illegal
read more: Donors Improve Water, Sanitation
video: Proper hygiene practices in Uganda
Nevertheless, there are some signs of progress. Uganda has taken seriously the MDGs and the First Lady is personally involved in combating HIV/AIDS. Statistics say 150,000 children below 15 years in Uganda are HIV positive, with only 24,000 accessing HIV treatment out of 98,000 who need it. Uganda’s First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni was requested to play a part on the Global Plan towards the elimination of new HIV infections among children by 2015. Adults are responsible for 50 percent of new infections mostly because of multiple concurrent partnerships, so the First Lady called on government leaders to strengthen their efforts in HIV prevention. It's a valuable contribution to engage political leaderships in support of the battle against HIV/AIDS.
Also in Uganda, sixteen villages in Kyenjojo District, western Uganda, have adopted simple but effective sanitation and hygiene practices, like using clean water jugs for hand washing, carefully storing drinking water, harvesting rainwater, and building wooden racks for drying food utensils. UNICEF supported the implementation of community-led sanitation approach for improved hygiene and sanitary behaviors, and improvements in health and living conditions are now a reality. The big aim is to reduce illnesses like diarrhoea, which is one of the top three killers of Ugandan children under five. This project is going to be duplicated in two other districts in Uganda.
Uganda may achieve the goals of universal primary education, gender parity, and combating HIV/AIDS but there are still big challenges ahead if the country wants to become a middle-income country within one generation. Those two examples illustrate the need of interventions which aim to improve people's lives.
read more: G8: 'Poverty in Uganda is the never ending story'
read more: Lives at risk as 90 per cent of Aids drugs in Uganda could be declared illegal
read more: Donors Improve Water, Sanitation
video: Proper hygiene practices in Uganda
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