UN Chief Hails Country On Poverty Reduction

from All Africa

New Vision (Kampala)

By Francis Emorut
Kampala

UGANDA'S record in poverty reduction is commendable, the resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme, has said.

"Although poverty indicators in sub-Saharan Africa are still bad, Uganda has shown considerable improvement in poverty reduction," Theophane Nikyema noted.

This was during a charity walk in Munyonyo organised by the Rotary Club of Kampala North on Saturday.

According to the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics, the country's poverty rate decreased from 56% in 1992 to 31% in 2005/2006.

The walk under the theme "Walk for heath, water, and sanitation" aimed at raising sh60m to help the poor, according to the chairman of the organising committee, Charles Mwesige.

Nikyema commended the club for embracing the Millennium Development Goals.

The goals include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, and ensuring environmental sustainability by the year. Others are combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases and developing a global partnership for development.

The president of the club, John Magezi said: "Unless we find ways of making our communities create wealth on their own, they will live in abject poverty."

The 10-km walk attracted over 30 Rotary clubs.