Programme For Orphans, Vulnerable Children (OVC)

 About Us New Beginnings Clare Nsenga Health Center Sister Clare's Story Cyanika/E.Africa Programmes  Events  Received Support Message from CNF Office Uganda Health Systems  News Geographic Map and pictures  Photo Guest Book  Contact

CNF Supports Children in Cyanika - The community has in the past and continue to suffer from preventable diseases due to limited access to information on health matters.

Dr. Kevin D. Heads OVC

Dr. Kevin Diekhaus working under the auspices of CNF made a proposal to the United Church of Christ to address some of the concerns of OVC in Kisoro generally with particular reference to Cyanika area which serves as a catchment area for Clare Nsenga Health Centre.  Dr. Diekhaus of University of Connecticut Health Center in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Heads the Orphans, Vulnerable Children (OVC) program In Kisoro Uganda: Picture below

Impact of AIDS in Kisoro District

Based on community and health provider experience, the impact of HIV on health, family structure, economics, and formal education is pervasive in Kisoro District.  However, there is limited documentation of the extent and impact of HIV.  The only seroprevalence data is for Southwestern Uganda (Kisoro, Kabale, Rukungiri, Ntungamo and Mbarara Districts) which found that 7.1% of women and 4.4% of men between the age of 15 and 49 years of age were HIV infected.  Serosurvey data for HIV specific to Kisoro District are not available.

CNF Emphasis on AIDS Orphans

An orphan is defined as a child who has lost one or both parents.  In Kisoro, the most common cause parent death due to HIV/AIDS (AIDS Orphans).  Other children live in households where one or both parents are infected with HIV, therefore the term “orphans and vulnerable children” (OVC) covers both groups of children.  Because of chronic illness associated with HIV, living parents may not be able to provide for their children.  Again, statistics about OVC specific to Kisoro District are not available.  The data for Southwest Uganda indicates that 16.2% of children are orphans. 

Only 53.7% of children are living in the same household with two living parents.  Of children younger than 18 years of age, 13% have lost a father, 6% have lost a mother, and 2.9% have lost both.  A majority of these losses are from AIDS-related mortality.  Orphans are disadvantaged in many ways, including education where the school attendance rate is lower for orphans (89%) compared to non-orphans (95%), despite “universal” primary education. English is taught in primary school and is the national language of Uganda. The literacy rate is low, estimated at 32.8% compared to the national rate of 54%.