Uganda: Looking at the Costs of Services for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children

HIV and AIDS have dramatically changed the lives of children worldwide. As of 2005, over 15 million children under 18 have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Millions more are living with a chronically ill parent. The high proportion of children who are orphans or vulnerable for other reasons in Sub-Saharan Africa poses a major obstacle to human well-being and economic development.

More than 2 million orphans and other vulnerable children live in Uganda. These children face many challenges in their lives, including poverty; military conflicts; poor health; and lack of food, housing, sanitation, and education. While there has been increased funding dedicated to services for these children in recent years, policymakers and program implementers have limited information regarding costs involved to implement programs. USAID Uganda is providing funding for Mathematica, through a subcontract from the Population Council, to prepare cost estimates for three different types of programs aimed at providing services for these vulnerable children. The programs reflect different models of service delivery and encompass comprehensive core services included in Uganda's national policy and strategic plan for orphans and other vulnerable children.

Our cost analysis is one component of a larger formative assessment led by the Population Council. The assessment is analyzing programs and identifying strategies, approaches, and funding needed for delivering comprehensive services to vulnerable children in Uganda. To that end, the cost analysis will contribute toward a better understanding of the fixed as well as recurring costs of providing comprehensive services to facilitate countrywide planning in the future.

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