Vulnerable Children On the Increase, Says Bbumba

Alfred Tumushabe

14 July 2011

The level of child vulnerability in Uganda is worrying, Gender Minister Syda Bbumba has said. While launching a five-year National Strategic Programme Plan (2011-2016) in Mbarara on Tuesday, Ms Bbumba called on civil society organisations and development partners, who addressed the needs of Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC), to keep up their support.

She said the 2010 analysis of OVC indicates that 2.4m of the 17.1m children in Uganda are orphans. “The proportion of orphaned children has increased from 11.5 per cent in 1999/2000 to 14.3 per cent in 2009/2010,” Ms Bbumba said.

She said one in every four households in Uganda has an orphan while about 10,000 children are believed to be living on the streets.

Ms Bbumba attributed the situation to HIV/Aids, which she said contributes to 46 per cent orphanhood and political conflicts especially in Northern Uganda.

She, however, said family-related factors such as domestic violence, low incomes, food insecurity and poor childcare are responsible for child vulnerability.

“In some communities, some aspects of culture are identified as contributory factors to child vulnerability. For example, cultures that promote early marriages,” she said.

The National Strategic Programme Plan of Interventions for OVC is a policy guideline to coordinate national efforts for the effective delivery of services to vulnerable children.

The launch was attended by heads of NGOs, LC5 chair persons and CAOs from southwestern Uganda.

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