KAMPALA, Nov 8, 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- A new United Nations report has said that Uganda registered a strong economic growth coupled with a fall in the number of Ugandans living in absolute poverty.
The 2005 Uganda Human Development Report, released by the Minister of General Duties here on Monday, said that despite a worrying population growth rate, Uganda has recorded impressive progress in human development.
The 92-paged United Nations Development sponsored report attributed the progress to improvement in literacy levels and life expectancy from 43 years in 2000 to 45.7 years in 2004.
The report said that joint efforts of government and development partners had resulted in significant reduction in HI/ AIDS prevalence from 18.5 percent in 1992 to 6.2 percent in 2004.
It said that literacy rates had gone up from 65 percent in 1997 to 70 percent in 2003, with more than 68 percent of the population aged 10 years and above literate.
There was more equal distribution of income and household consumption expenditure in rural areas from 109,400 shillings (58. 8 US dollars) in 2000 to 113,300 shillings (60.7 dollars) in 2003.
The poverty levels also reduced from 56 percent in 1992 to 38 percent in 2004.
The UN report however warned that whereas Uganda has abundant natural resources with which it can contribute to human development, the natural capital (environment) is on the decline.
"Climate change and environmental degradation have led to food shortages and increased pressure on water and pasture, especially in north-eastern Uganda," said the report.
It also pointed out that the population growth rate of 3.4 percent was exerting pressure on the environment, and that HIV/ AIDS was retarding human development.
It said that unemployment in urban areas was a major cause of poverty, and called for the disbanding of the internally displaced persons camps in the war-torn northern Uganda.
"Uganda needs to quickly resettle and rehabilitate the population in northern Uganda, mainly confined in camps. The disruption of economic activities, education and health service delivery shows in the region's human development, the lowest in the country," said the report.