Uganda has made important progress towards the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) since the last progress report
was published in 2010. Most notably, the first of the 21
MDG targets – halving the proportion of people below the
national poverty line – has been achieved well ahead of the
2015 deadline. The poverty gap has also reduced across all
regions of the country, meaning that individuals below the
poverty line are less poor today than in the past. Economic
growth has been closely linked to an expansion in more
secure and productive forms of employment for poorer
households and has therefore benefited Ugandans across
the income distribution.
The share of the workforce in wage employment continues
to increase, even though the majority of opportunities
remain in the informal sector, and population growth and
improved education attainment have resulted in high youth
unemployment. There has been a substantial reduction
in hunger and under-nutrition – since 1995 the share of
underweight children has been reduced by half. Following
a drive to expand malaria prevention and control measures,
the heavy burden imposed by the disease is beginning to be
rolled back.
Access to affordable essential drugs through public health
facilities and treatment for HIV/AIDS for those who need it
has also improved significantly. Improvements in child health
outcomes have recently registered a marked acceleration,
with the under-five mortality rate falling by 34% between
2006 and 2011. Uganda remains on track to meet the target
for access to safe water and sanitation, driven by substantial
improvements in rural areas.