The Sheriff
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- Oct 10, 2019
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Umoja wa Mataifa (UN) umetangaza kuwa Uganda imekidhi vigezo vya kuorodheshwa kama nchi ya kipato cha kati cha chini (lower-middle income) baada ya kuboresha kwa kiasi kikubwa afya, elimu na viwango vya kipato vya wananchi wake.
Bibi Susan Ngongi Namondo, mratibu wa Umoja wa Mataifa nchini Uganda, ameeleza hili Jumatano, Machi 20, 2024 wakati wa uzinduzi wa Ripoti ya Maendeleo ya Binadamu (Human Development Report - HDR) ya mwaka wa 2023/2024 katika Chuo Kikuu cha Makerere huko Kampala.
Ripoti ya HDR imeonesha kwamba Uganda ilifanya maboresho makubwa katika Kiashiria cha Maendeleo ya Binadamu (Human Development Index - HDI), ikipanda kutoka nafasi ya 166 duniani mwaka wa 2022 hadi 159 mwaka wa 2024 kati ya nchi na maeneo 193 yaliyopimwa na Programu ya Maendeleo ya Umoja wa Mataifa (UNDP). Mambo yaliyopimwa ni viwango vya kipato, afya na elimu, pamoja na kutofautiana kwa wananchi.
Wakati wa kutoa ripoti hiyo, Bibi Nwanneakolam Vwede-Obahor, mwakilishi wa UNDP nchini Uganda, alisema katika Ripoti ya HDR ya 2021/2022, Uganda iliorodheshwa katika kategoria ya maendeleo duni ya binadamu na kuwekwa katika nafasi ya 166 kati ya nchi na maeneo 191.
"Katika Ripoti ya HDR ya 2023/2024, Uganda kwa mara ya kwanza imepanda hadi category ya maendeleo ya binadamu wa wastani, ikiwekwa katika nafasi ya 159 kati ya nchi na maeneo 193. Hili ni jambo tunalopaswa kutambua na kusherehekea maendeleo yanayofanywa na nchi katika uga wa maendeleo ya binadamu," alisema.
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The United Nations (UN) has announced that Uganda has met the requirements to be categorised as a lower-middle-income country following impressive improvements in the population’s health, education and income levels.
Ms Susan Ngongi Namondo, the UN resident coordinator in Uganda, revealed this on Wednesday during the launch of the 2023/2024 Human Development Report (HDR) at Makerere University in Kampala.
The HDR specifically showed that Uganda had made significant improvements in the Human Development Index (HDI), rising from a global ranking of 166 in 2022 to 159 in 2024 for the 193 countries and territories assessed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The elements assessed are income levels, health and education levels, and inequalities within the population.
While presenting the report at the university, Ms Nwanneakolam Vwede-Obahor, the UNDP resident representative, said in the 2021/2022 HDR, Uganda was placed in the category of low human development and positioned 166 out of 191 countries and territories.
“In the 2023/2024 HDR, Uganda has for the first time moved to the category of medium human development, positioned 159 out of 193 countries and territories. This is something we need to recognise and celebrate the progress the country is making in the human development front,” she said.
According to the report, between 1990 and 2022, Uganda’s HDI value increased from 0.329 to 0.550 -an increase of 67.2 percent. Uganda’s life expectancy at birth increased by 17.2 years, expected years of schooling increased by 5.8 years, and Gross National Income (GNI) per capita increased by about 153.1 percent, the report indicates.
Ms Namondo said: “I also want to inform [you] that Uganda’s transition to the medium human development category aligns with an exciting message that I got a few days ago. The UN committee for Development Policy has announced that Uganda has now fulfilled the criteria for graduation from the least developed country to the lower-middle-income country category for the first time.”
According to information from the World Bank, the world’s Middle Income Countries (MICs) are a diverse group by size, population, and income level.
“They are defined as lower-middle-income economies - those with a GNI per capita between $1,086 (Shs4.2m) and $4,255 (Shs16.4m); and upper-middle-income economies - those with a GNI per capita between $4,256 (Shs16.4m) and $13,205 (Shs51.2m) as of 2023,” information from the World Bank website reads.
Ms Namondo, the UN resident coordinator, however, warned that the country would have to work a lot harder to sustain these gains.
“We have the opportunity, as we move into that lower-middle-income category, to plan for it because it will cause short-term disruptions in the budget. Some things will disappear. So, we need to plan and make sure that we can adequately handle the move smoothly into lower-middle-income countries categories,” she said.
“As United Nations, we remain steadfast to work with the government and people of Uganda seeing how we can improve and how we can support the government,” she added.
Uganda’s HDI of 0.550 is above the average of 0.549 for Sub-Saharan African countries, however, it still falls below the global average of 0.739, according to the HDR report.
In the HDR report, Uganda was struggling with widening income inequalities and other inequalities in access to health care and education.
Govt reacts
Speaking during the report launch Ms Robinah Nabbanja, the prime minister, said the government would increase investment in interventions like the Parish Development Model (PDM) to ensure no Ugandan is left behind.
“I call upon all stakeholders including government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, academia and the private sector to join hands in addressing the challenges outlined in the report,” she said.
“We must combat divisions and strengthen service delivery to address the common needs of our population and pave the way for a more equitable and sustainable future. As we work on this journey, let us draw inspiration from the progress we have so far made. As a country, we are remaining firm in our commitment to human development,” she added.
Chanzo: Daily Monitor
