Q2 Impact’s USAID-funded Uganda Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Program (referred to as The Learning Contract) has released a new report titled “The State of the Ugandan Child – An Analytical Overview.”
The report focuses on four thematic areas of child well-being: health & nutrition, education, social protection, and child participation in decision-making, with special attention paid to the girl child. The study relied on secondary data review and primary data collected from key informant interviews at national, district, and community levels, as well as focus group discussions with young people aged 14-19 and adult community members from 12 districts. The data was disaggregated to indicate trends in realization of the four thematic areas of child rights at a national level and to depict regional, gender and age differences.
Overall, progress has been made over the decades towards improving the well-being of children and realizing children’s rights in Uganda, particularly in relation to enrollment in education. However, progress has not been consistent over the years across the major domains of child well-being, with the situation of the girl child remaining precarious. There is an urgent need for both immediate and long-term non-conventional interventions to reverse the negative factors affecting children. Targeted and innovative interventions by multiple stakeholders are required to support the realization of children’s rights, especially those of the girl child. This will require commitment to policy, legislation, financing, and above all extensive collaboration between all stakeholders.
This publication was produced for the Uganda National Forum on the State of the Ugandan Child in collaboration with the Uganda Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Makerere University, and The African Institute for Child Studies. Q2 Impact is also grateful for the data contribution of Ugandan line Ministries, including the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Sports; the Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development, as well as Civil Society Organizations and current implementing programs. We thank all key informants and participants such as Probation and Welfare Officers, Community Development Officers, education officials, district health officials, and political leadership at sub-national levels. We would also like to acknowledge the leadership from USAID and the Government of Uganda to bring about the National Forum on the State of the Ugandan Child.
Learn more about The Learning Contract here.
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