According to surveys, Uganda is among the 10 countries in the world with very high percentages of child and maternal mortality. In fact, young people under 25, represent 77% of the population of Uganda. At the same time, AIDS is the second leading cause of death among adolescents, coexisting with malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and other serious infections. Some of the biggest barriers to providing medical service include: insufficient funding for health services, and weak state and communal infrastructure for prevention and treatment. The percentage of children deprived of access to safe water amounts to 30%. And, of course, the plight of disabled children in this environment is of strong concern.
Regarding education: while Uganda has done important steps in the expansion of primary education, school dropout rates remain high.
Inadequate funding, and disasters (both natural and man-made) continue to undermine and to disrupt the provision of education and child welfare in general. At the same time, the expenses related to school enrollment and attendance, tend to be such that they reduce the chances of enrolling children, leaving the poorest families to choose to keep children out of school to work.
Children who experience difficult and adverse emotional experiences in their daily lives from early childhood are at risk of developing psychopathological reactions or deviations.
The above challenges are particularly acute in rural areas, where the quality of basic services remains very low and the needs are extremely high.