Happy 2017!
I kicked off this year well and in first two weeks I spent time with media colleagues trying to wrap our heads around early childhood development. Through various engagements with UN foundation and UNICEF, I was both fascinated by the work and research around first six years of a child’s life and also taken aback at how much work we need to do as a nation to set our children on the right path.
Key focus was on poverty and it’s impact on children in Uganda. Although the proportion of the Ugandans living below the national poverty line declined from 31.1% in 2006 to 19.7% in 2013, according to the 2016 Poverty Assessment, many children still live in poverty. The proportion of the total number of poor people who live in the Northern and Eastern regions increased between 2006 and 2013, from 68% to 84%. Between 2005 and 2009, for every three Ugandans who were lifted out of poverty, two fell back.
These are the highlights on child poverty and the uphill task Uganda faces.
1: More than 50% of Uganda’s population are children. Uganda is the world’s second youngest nation after Niger.
2: Sadly, about 55% of Uganda’s children below five and 38% between 6-17 years live in poverty.
Rosebell Kagumire 