Uganda

Demographics

Uganda is home to many different ethnic groups, none of whom form a majority of the population. Around forty different languages are currently in use in the country. English became the official language of Uganda after independence. The language with the largest number of native speakers is Luganda, spoken in the Buganda region which encompasses Kampala. Kiswahili is widely used as a basic trade language.

Related Topics:
English - Luganda - Buganda - Kampala - Kiswahili

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Christian and Muslim missionaries first arrived in the 1860s, attempting to convert the Bugandan king. At present, about two-thirds of the population has adopted Christianity. The remaining one-third is split about evenly between Muslims and members of traditional faiths.

Related Topics:
Christian - Muslim - 1860s

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AIDS-prevention

:See also: AIDS in Africa

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Uganda has been hailed as a rare success story in the fight against HIV and AIDS, widely being viewed as the most effective national response to the pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. A variety of approaches to AIDS education have been employed, ranging from the promotion of condom use to 'abstinence only' programmes. The scope of Uganda's success has come under scrutiny from new research. Research published in The Lancet medical journal in 2002 questions the dramatic decline reported. It is claimed statistics have been distorted through the inaccurate extrapolation of data from small urban clinics to the entire population, nearly 90 per cent of whom live in rural areas.http://www.overpopulation.com/articles/2002/000075.html

Related Topics:
Sub-Saharan Africa - The Lancet

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US-sponsored abstinence promotions have received recent criticism from observers for denying young people information about any method of HIV prevention other than sexual abstinence until marriage. Human Rights Watch says that such programmes "leave Uganda?s children at risk of HIV".http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/03/30/uganda10380.htm

Related Topics:
US - Human Rights Watch

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