women demonstrating for more attention to HIV/AIDS

Over 20 children from Baylor Uganda presented a petitioned today also demanding government to provide enough antiretroviral drugs  for pregnant mothers in all hospitals of Uganda.

The children say that they are many children out there who are infected with HIV but cannot access the life prolonging ARVdrugs. They say that pregnant mothers be mobilized to access HIV testing and protect the new born babies from HIV.

The children presented the petition during the seminar organised by the ministry of health to sensitize women MPs how they can eliminated mother to child transmission of HIV.

The children’s statement to the minister says that women MPs should convince their male counter parts to support laws that will protect women from harassment because of their HIV status.

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Uganda children

The Save the Children in Uganda’s regional manager Lhibuma Muhindo said yesterday that children in Uganda have failed to enjoy their rights because the local governments have not dug deep in sensitizing communities.

Lhibuma said that it is better children use the celebrations to mark the Day of the African child slated for today by putting local leaders to task on why their day has been undermined on the calendar.

Children from Kasese, Kabarole, Bundibugyo and Ntoroko districts will gather at Suura Primary school, Katebwa sub-county in Kabarole district to celebrate the Day of the African Child, commemorating the deaths of hundreds of children killed on the streets of Soweto in South Africa in 1976 as they asked for the right to education.

Speaking about the theme of the celebrations; all together for actions in
favour of Street Children”, Lhibuma castigated district local governments for failure to organize such function annually.

The Kasese district senior community development officer Zerubaberi Thembo said the district will now pick a leaf from the upcoming event organized by Save the Children to start marking it annually.

By Sunday Rogers

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Uganda children

Addressing journalists at parliament the woman mp for Luwero district who also doubles as the chairperson of the forum said that government should ascertain resources which will directly benefit children.

She said that the resources appropriated should be matching with all pro children’s policies like domestic violence act, and the trafficking in persons. She says that with the implementation of such policies Uganda will be making a difference in the lives of street children.

Nalwanga also urged government to address the push and pull factors that cause the children to go to the streets. Among the factors pointed out are breakdown and weakening of the traditional family mechanism, unstable family environment, domestic violence and poverty.

The member of parliament for Moroto county Benson Obua Ogwal attributed the increase of street children to family breakdown and increasing poverty in rural areas.

According to the report by UNICEF there are 10,000stret children whose ages are between 0 AND 17 years old. Amongst these 89% are boys while 11% are girls.

Ultimate Media

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ANPPCAN Uganda

This tragic report was released by African Network for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) as the country mourns one and half year-old boy Khan Kakama, who was killed in suspicious circumstances.

The report indicates a major increase in the abuse of rights of children with defilement topping the list, kidnap, torture, abortion, indecent assault among others.

The districts with the highest cases of abuse according to the report are Kasese, Kitgum, Mukono, Jinja, Rakai, Kampala, Apac and Iganga.

The coordinator of ANPPCAN in charge of research and Policy, Anselm Wandega blames the increase on parents’ relegation of their parental duties to housemaids and Police’s negligence to investigate and charge the suspects.

He pledges the ANPPCAN’s commitment to follow up with government to ensure that those involved in the murder of children face prosecution.

Avideo showing children of Northern Uganda

Ultimate Media

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Uganda children

In a press statement seen by Ultimate Media, Kisembo says the current HIV/AIDS prevention efforts are targeting married couples and ignoring children because according to a recent study, married couples are the most vulnerable.

He says children are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS because they can’t make decisions alone on treatment and prevention without the intervention of their parents or guardians.

Kisembo also appealed to all stakeholders involved in fighting the HIV/AIDS scourge to step up their efforts in getting every pregnant woman tested for the virus because according to statistics from the ministry of health, 90 percent of the children get infected with the disease through mother to child transmission.

According to the 2009 Ministry of health report, Uganda has over 130,000 children below the age of 15 infected with HIV/AIDS. Sixteen percent of these are in need of urgent antiretroviral treatment or they die before turning two years old but only one in every three children that need the drugs receive them.

 Ultimate Media

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