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Orphan crisis worsened by HIV/AIDS

    JOHANNESBURG

    HIV/AIDS has worsened Uganda's orphan crisis and caused the country's social support systems to weaken, the Washington Times reports.

    A government demographic health survey has revealed that children account for 62 percent of Uganda's population, and the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) estimates that 2.3 million orphans aged 17 and younger have lost at least one parent to AIDS-related illnesses.

    According to the UAC, women were at the head of 70 percent of the orphan households in the country, while some orphans were running their own households, often also caring for younger brothers and sisters.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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