Uganda promises education and protection for HIV/AIDS orphans - Brief Article

KAMPALA -- The Ugandan government, which has led Africa in controlling the rise of HIV/AIDS infections, stated that children orphaned by HIV/AIDS will receive an education. President Yoweri Museveni presented this information at a meeting with visiting U.N. Special Envoy on AIDS in Africa Stephen Lewis and Graca Machel, a children's rights activist, wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela and a former education minister in Mozambique.

The government understands that orphaned children need to be educated so they are not disadvantaged twice, Museveni said. Machel said that orphaned girls especially must be protected from abuse.
The announcement came just a few days after the publication of a Population Reference Bureau-sponsored study, which shows that Uganda's population will reach 82 million by 2050, making it the world's 20th largest country.

The study credits the country's success in stemming HIV/AIDS for the projected population growth. Museveni said that the government's early focus on raising awareness about the disease helped control the epidemic in Uganda.