Vol. 445 No. 9
127 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the assistance, if any, that is being given to Uganda since it has been established as a bilateral aid partner; and if there is an Irish assisted programme to tackle the problems caused by AIDS and HIV in Uganda. [1482/94]
Following the decision to establish Uganda as a partner country for Irish Aid, an amount of £1.1 million was allocated for the bilateral aid programme in Uganda in 1994. It is anticipated that this assistance will be doubled in 1995.
Irish Aid programmes in developing countries are carried out in consultation with the authorities in the partner country. In line with this policy, discussions were held with the Ugandan Government prior to the setting up of the Irish aid programme there this year. Following these discussions it was agreed that the main thrust of the Irish aid programme in Uganda would focus on an area based rural development programme in the Kibaale district of Uganda.
This programme has five main components: capacity building, water and sanitation, access, health infrastructure and primary education. The objective of the health component of the project is to improve the health infrastructure of the district. This will be achieved through the rehabilitation of the district hospital and rural clinics. Sanitation and the provision of clean water also form an important part of the project. According to IFAD statistics the major health problems in the region are malaria, acute respiratory infections, intestinal infestation and diarrhoea.
While the project is not therefore specifically targeted at AIDS and HIV sufferers the overall improvement in the quality and availability of sanitation, health care and education in the district which is envisaged by the project should have a positive effect in this area.
