Examining dimensions of vulnerability among children in Uganda

Abstract

Insufficient data on the nature and extent of children's vulnerability in Uganda has challenged government and donors in priority setting, resource allocation and developing effective approaches to improve well-being. We conducted a population-based survey among a nationally representative sample of 2551 households, covering a total of 7946 children. We engaged national stakeholders in a priority-setting exercise to develop a scoring system to assess dimensions of children's vulnerability. The exercise identified individual and household characteristics to assess vulnerability – many of which had not been measured previously – to which numerical weights representing vulnerability level were assigned. Highly weighted characteristics included maternal death, disability, child labour and pregnancy before age 17. Psychosocial elements included living apart from siblings, having nobody to talk to and never visiting a living parent. According to this approach, an estimated 51.1% of children in Uganda (weighted for national population distribution) are considered critically or moderately vulnerable. It is to these children, equivalent to a national total of 8.7 million, that support services should be prioritised. However, survey data suggest that the most critically vulnerable children are under-represented in several types of support services. This pioneering, participatory methodology provides a rudimentary, but valuable, first step towards quantifying the vulnerability of children in Uganda and assessing their resource needs. It has been used by the Government of Uganda to determine subcategories of vulnerability for resource allocation. A major advantage is that it uses local contextual knowledge of child vulnerability rather than generic criteria applied in international surveys. Further analytical work is required to validate the methodology, link it to child well-being outcomes and devise a practical tool for service providers to refine programme targeting. The approach may be useful to national, regional or local service providers seeking an overview of their client base to monitor and improve programme-targeting efforts.

Keywords:

• orphans
• vulnerable children
• OVC
• HIV/AIDS
• Uganda
• Africa

Acknowledgements

This article was made possible through support provided by the US Agency for International Development under the terms of Contract No. GHH-I-02-07-00034-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the US Agency for International Development. The US Government retains all applicable rights, including copyright to this article and data contained therein in accordance with Contract No. GHH-I-02-07-00034-00. Foreign copyrights may also apply. The authors express their appreciation to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, which conducted the household survey with expertise from James Muwonge, Andrew Mukulu, Helen Namirembe Nviiri, Vincent Sennono, Simon Kyewalyanga, and Hamidu Katikajjira, together with a team of interviewers who went to the field. Special thanks to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), National OVC Situation Analysis Steering Committee: Willie Otim (MGLSD), Dorothy Oulanyah (UNICEF), Herbert Mugumya (US Agency for International Development), Franco Wandabwa (World Vision), Joyce Kadowe (Uganda AIDS Commission), Joyce Otim-Nape (National Council for Children), Cornelius Williams (UNICEF), Stephen Kasaija (MGLSD), Grace Mayanja (CORE Initiative), and John Okiror (MGLSD). Finally, the authors appreciate Judith Bakirya's role in facilitating consensus around a definition of vulnerable children in Uganda.

Notes

1. Full results from a broader range of objectives and research activities are presented in Kalibala and Elson (2010).