Poverty and Health
49% of Uganda's population is under the age of 15, and approximately 2.5 million orphans live in Uganda, a country the size of Oregon. As of 2005, 52% of all Ugandans were living below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day, making Uganda one of the poorest countries in the world.
Connected with the challenges of poverty are the immense health problems facing many Ugandans. In 2007, as many as 80,000 people died from AIDS, and an estimated 7.3 % of the adult population is living with HIV, giving Uganda the 10th highest HIV rate in the world. The country frequently experiences shortages in HIV/AIDS treatment drugs.
Malaria is a common problem: In 2003, over 12,000,000 cases of malaria were reported. Malaria is responsible for 25% of all visits to hospitals. There have been several outbreaks of the Ebola virus in Uganda, and children in northern Uganda are suffering from a neurological illness of unknown origins called Nodding Disease. There is speculation that this illness is somehow linked to Uganda's protracted civil war.
Uganda has a high infant mortality rate, and the average life expectancy is 54 years of age. An estimated 40% of Ugandans are without access to safe drinking water and 57% do not have access to improved sanitation facilities--a major health concern.
Needless to say, these health problems are compounded by limited access to health care. There are only 1 or 2 health centers in a sub-county, and those that do exist are understocked and understaffed, resulting in extremely long waits for those people who do make it to a clinic.
It takes, on average, about 5-6 hours for a pregnant woman in labor to reach a health center. A woman suffering from a complicated labor often does not even make it to a health center, but passes away along the way. Some women in the villages give birth at home with the help of traditional birth attendants, thereby avoiding the long walk and long lines at the health unit. Unfortunately, this is puts them at increased risk from maternal death. Return to "About Uganda" main >>
Connected with the challenges of poverty are the immense health problems facing many Ugandans. In 2007, as many as 80,000 people died from AIDS, and an estimated 7.3 % of the adult population is living with HIV, giving Uganda the 10th highest HIV rate in the world. The country frequently experiences shortages in HIV/AIDS treatment drugs.
Malaria is a common problem: In 2003, over 12,000,000 cases of malaria were reported. Malaria is responsible for 25% of all visits to hospitals. There have been several outbreaks of the Ebola virus in Uganda, and children in northern Uganda are suffering from a neurological illness of unknown origins called Nodding Disease. There is speculation that this illness is somehow linked to Uganda's protracted civil war.
Uganda has a high infant mortality rate, and the average life expectancy is 54 years of age. An estimated 40% of Ugandans are without access to safe drinking water and 57% do not have access to improved sanitation facilities--a major health concern.
Needless to say, these health problems are compounded by limited access to health care. There are only 1 or 2 health centers in a sub-county, and those that do exist are understocked and understaffed, resulting in extremely long waits for those people who do make it to a clinic.
It takes, on average, about 5-6 hours for a pregnant woman in labor to reach a health center. A woman suffering from a complicated labor often does not even make it to a health center, but passes away along the way. Some women in the villages give birth at home with the help of traditional birth attendants, thereby avoiding the long walk and long lines at the health unit. Unfortunately, this is puts them at increased risk from maternal death. Return to "About Uganda" main >>
Help Mtaala Finish Building a Health Clinic
at Awegys Secondary School!
About this image: Students and villagers who will use the health clinic once it is stocked and staffed, stand in front of the newly completed building.
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The school does not have a health clinic, nor is there a clinic in the surrounding area. Mtaala has built a health clinic on school grounds, but we need help stocking and staffing the clinic, so our students have access to basic medical care. If you would like to make a donation or send medical supplies, please Contact Us.
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