Abstract : In 1989, 1133 households in Kampala, Uganda, were surveyed to assess the extent of mortality from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the socioeconomic impact of the AIDS epidemic. There were 241 deaths (mortality rate, 4.3%) among the 5345 household members included in the survey during 1988. 106 (44%) of the deaths involved children under 16 years of age. For sociocultural reasons, it was not possible to question respondents directly about deaths attributable to AIDS. Instead, the number of deaths related to AIDS was estimated on the basis of the symptom profile (i.e., a long disease with fever and weight loss). There were 15 child deaths and 47 adult deaths that met this criterion. The median age of children who died allegedly from AIDS was 1.5 years, while that of adults was 30 years. Among adults who died, the sex ratio was 26 males:21 females. If AIDS caused 1% of the mortality in Kampala in 1988, an estimate of 10,000 AIDS cases nationwide seems feasible. Of particular concern is the percentage of orphaned children in the study area. The death of a mother and/or father had occurred in 182 (16%) of the households surveyed. 12% of the orphans had lost a parent as a result of a long disease with fever and weight loss, suggesting that AIDS is having a substantial impact on family life in Uganda. Of particular concern is the negative impact of orphanhood on school attendance. 47% of the households that reported orphans lacked the money to send their children to school compared to 10% of households with no orphans reported. Given the importance of education to the futures of children in developing countries, special initiatives should be devised to identify children at risk of prematurely leaving school because they have been orphaned by AIDS and to provide them with the necessary school fees.
Notes : English
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