Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision (Kampala) - November 28, 2007
Milton Olupot
Syda Bbumba yesterday said the largest number of working children, who also head households, were orphaned by AIDS. She was briefing the media ahead of the World AIDS day slated for December 1 under the theme "Leadership for accelerated prevention."
Bbumba said there would be no national activities but each district is expected to hold celebrations. Kampala's venue is Ggaba landing site. She revealed that her ministry was working with the International Labour Organisation to reduce the number of child labourers. The minister said the most exploited children were those in the urban informal sector, on the streets, farms, domestic employees, those in the sex industry and quarries. The Government is undertaking various projects in Kampala, Mukono, Mbale and Rakai to eliminate HIV/AIDS-induced child-labour, Bbumba said.
"Close to 3,000 children, formerly in hazardous activities, have been rescued. "The lives of these ex-child labourers have been turned round. Their childhood and dignity have been restored. They are going to school and they look forward to new opportunities and possibilities for a brighter future," she added. Akky de Kort, an official with the International Labour Organisation, said half of the 1.8 million orphans had lost one or both parents to AIDS. "The HIV pandemic is both a cause and consequence of child labour. "In the family, the disease forces children, especially the girls, to drop out of school.
"They have to nurse the sick parents and consequently look for alternative family income."
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