Uganda

Some Facts
Total population (W.H.O.) 29,899,000
Life expectancy at birth M/F (yrs) (W.H.O.) 49/51
Healthy life expectancy at birth M/F in yrs (W.H.O.) 42/44
Infant mortality under 1 yr old (per 1,000 live births) (UNICEF) 79
Infant Mortality under 5 yrs old (per 1,000 live births) (W.H.O.) 134
Total adult literacy rate (%) (W.H.O.) 76.4
GDP per capita (e) (U.N.D.I.) $1,251

Challenges Faced in Programme Area
Uganda falls far behind global standards ranking 161 in the human development index out of 187 countries, falling into the final category of ‘Low Human Development’ (UNDP, 2011). Uganda has also experienced political unrest; in July 2010 Somali militants bombed Kampala creating insecurity in the country.

Aidlink works in partnership with Caritas MADDO, the EMESCO Development Foundation and Voluntary Action for Development Foundation (VAD) in Masaka, Kibaale and Wakiso Districts respectively. These communities comprise of small-scale subsistence farming households. Rural households in Uganda represent some of the poorest in the country. Levels of poverty are reported to be more than twice as high in rural areas [34%] than in urban areas [13%]. Food insecurity and unsafe drinking water has had a crippling effect on health, mortality rates, living standards and access to education.

Uganda is also facing severe economic challenges. This is in part attributed to commodity shortages created by severe drought in the Horn of Africa. In August 2011, inflation in Uganda reached 30% (Bank of Uganda), an 18-year high, whilst the local currency, the Ugandan shilling, reached an all-time low against the US dollar.

Aidlink focuses on supporting interventions that centre on people who are the most marginalised in society
such as women, including the girl child, the elderly, people living with HIV and AIDS and people with disabilities. Our mission is to empower the rural poor community to participate in their social and economic development through training and resource mobilisation.