In a new report entitled Human Development 2013, Uganda is ranked 161 out of 182 countries in human development, a position the country has held for the last three years.
The report was launched in Kampala, where the United Nations Development Programe (UNDP) senior economic advisor Alex Warren-Rodrigues pointed out that although Uganda’s global ranking has not changed, it has made great progress in education and health when compared to the last 20 years.
One of the Ugandan government’s most progressive decisions was introducing free education, boosting their education sector and championing Uganda as a role model for the rest of Africa.
It is expected that Uganda’s educational focus will continue as the government has decided to allocate close to sh1.4 trillion to the education sector throughout 2013. The source of this wealth needs to be considered however, as much of the money is funded by donors and international financial institutions.
Proof of their decisive success has been supported by Rodrigues, who states, “Today, Ugandans are better off than they were 20 years ago despite the fact that the rankings have remained the same. Life expectancy has improved and the education levels have also improved. However, we note that maternal mortality rate among women and the quality of education remain issues that need to be addressed.”
The country is still below average in provision of basic human needs to stimulate human and economic growth, the report adds. The report however emphasizes that economic growth alone does not automatically translate into human development progress.
“Pro-poor policies and significant investments in people’s capabilities can expand access to decent work and provide for sustainable progress,” the report says.
“To sustain human development for the generations to come,” Rodrigues said, “Uganda and other countries need to address the issues of inequality, unemployment, democracy and education.”
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