Country Profile Uganda

32.7 million people live within Uganda’s borders. Only 13 percent, less than one-third of the regional average, live in urban areas. Per capita income is also low at less than one-half of the average. Though much has been done to stimulate Uganda’s economic growth, the percentage of poor citizens is rising as most of this new wealth makes it into the hands of a small portion of the population.

Medical spending in Uganda is at less than half of the regional average, though this is steadily increasing in recent years. The number of doctors is at 1.2 per ten-thousand people versus the average of 2.3; although, the number of nurses and midwives is at 13.1 per ten-thousand compared to 10.9 regional. Uganda’s health care level is decent, and it is getting better, though an almost exclusively rural population makes it more difficult.

Infant mortality is equal to the regional rate and has been dropping steadily for the last 20 years. Maternal mortality is much lower than surrounding areas. Fifty percent of infant deaths are disease-related, and 22 percent are from birth complications. Most of these deaths are from the rural and poor segments of the population as quality healthcare is available only in urban areas and to the richer class. Malnutrition and stunted growth in children is quite high at 40 percent.

The number of attended births is lower than the regional average at 42 percent, most likely demonstrating a higher reliance on home births due to the large rural population. City-dwellers are treated at more than two times the rate of those from rural areas. The wealthiest 20 percent are attended three times more than the poorest.

HIV is a problem in Uganda as it is in much of Africa. The numbers of those infected are approximately 50 percent more than the regional average and eight times more than the global numbers. These numbers have been dropping in recent years, and Uganda has demonstrated the most dramatic decrease in HIV cases of all the African nations. Still, the country has plenty of other problems with disease coupled with a low overall immunization rate.

Clean drinking water has seen a steady increase in both urban and rural areas. Urban availability has increased from 80 to 90 percent, and in rural areas this number has gone from 40 to 65 percent. Sanitation is rising as well, though only in the cities.

Uganda is still very much a rural, agrarian community with a reliance on traditional ways. The wealth disparity makes it difficult for the poorer class to access the improved medical services that are becoming available; however, some policy changes may improve this. In 2001, the government removed fees from state hospitals; this resulted in an 80 percent increase in visits, more than half of these from the poorest 20 percent. More policies of this nature may alleviate many of the problems that Uganda faces today.