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Children in Uganda are regularly exposed to many preventable health risks. According to the WHO, the country ranks 175th out of 193 eligible countries in life expectancy.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.688?lang=en )〕 The country also ranks 168 out of 188 in infant mortality rates, with a lower rank reflecting lower infant mortality.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2091.html )〕 There are many cultural factors influencing the current health status of Uganda including the negative stigmas associated with sex, and the wood-burning stoves. The former of these has resulted in a severe lack in education and communication necessary to improve the health and well-being of children. == HIV/AIDS == HIV/AIDS is likely the leading health risk facing Ugandan children; it affects many facets of their physical and mental health in a variety of ways. It is the leading cause of death in Uganda, as reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in 2010.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/uganda/ )〕 Currently, it is estimated that there are 1.5 million people living in Uganda with HIV/AIDS, of which 190,000 are children younger than 15. Of the 2.7 million orphans living in Uganda, 1 million of them were orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The CDC has been fairly active in the country, working in cooperation with government organizations as well as a number of other partners.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.cdc.gov/globalaids/Global-HIV-AIDS-at-CDC/countries/Uganda/ )〕 Their work has been on multiple fronts including door to door HIV counseling and testing. Despite these and many other efforts, there are poor rates of treatment of children. Of the 190,000 HIV-positive children in Uganda, only 35,500 received Antiretroviral medication (ARV). Uganda is not alone in this, in 21 high burden African countries, only 34 percent of eligible children receive ARV’s, compared to 68 percent of adults. In addition, many of the children that receive medication have been found to lack necessary diligence in their drug therapy routine. Many children find the medication unpleasant and are not even aware of their HIV status. Part of this can be attributed to lapses in communication. For example, it is common practice not to inform children of their HIV status until they reach 13 years of age. Sexual lifestyles are typically frowned upon in Uganda, particularly for women, which contributes to a poor dissemination of sexual related health information. Research has shown that efforts to improve health and awareness of parents and guardians, as well as the communities, of children with HIV/AIDS could be an effective way to improve treatment. Increased education and awareness can help with communication breakdowns and access to resources. These efforts can also help decrease mother-to-child transmissions. It is estimated that 91,000 infants are born each year to HIV-positive women. Only 51.6 percent of these women receive any sort of mother-to-child HIV prevention and about 24 percent of all 110,000 new HIV infections in Uganda in 2009 were a result of mother-to-child transmission. A study published by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a very effective management strategy, in terms of efficacy as well as cost, for prevention of mother-to-child transmissions.〔 In addition, often material support for parents/guardians can be an effective strategy in improving care and treatment of children, including funding for food, clothing, and educational expenses.〔 To date, most of Uganda’s policies to combat AIDS have focused on abstinence and fidelity, both preventative measures while little action has been taken around youth education. The main tool of this strategy is the controversial ABC campaign (Abstinence, Be faithful, and use Condoms). While initially believed to be a successful approach, the effectiveness of this strategy is currently inconclusive as more recent studies have found that increased condom use and deaths have been responsible for the decreases in HIV infections. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Child health in Uganda」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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