Uganda Report: Fathers Dying at Twice the Rate of Mothers, Leaving Millions of Paternal Orphans

A recent Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) monograph on Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) 2024 highlights a stark gender gap in parental mortality. About 6.2% of children are paternal orphans, twice the 2.5% maternal orphans. In total, roughly 13% of children under 18—around 3 million—have lost one or both parents.

Specific figures show 1,372,229 children lost fathers, compared to 550,925 who lost mothers. The disparity grows with age, reaching 12% paternal loss by age 17 versus 4% maternal. Rural areas and girls bear a heavier burden.

Prof. Yovani Lubaale, the report’s chief author, points to men’s involvement in risky jobs, overseas migration after fathering children, and lower life expectancy (67 years for men vs. 70 for women) as key reasons.

Dr. Patrick Tusiime, a public health expert, adds factors like men’s poor stress tolerance, risky behaviors including alcoholism, violence over partners, dangerous occupations like boda boda riding and military service, and polygamy amplifying orphans per father’s death.

Paternal orphans face heightened risks: 2.4% are child mothers (vs. 2.2% maternal orphans), though less prone to child marriage. Many end up in female-headed households, missing father figures, with 10.3% of child-headed homes being paternal orphans.

Orphans lag in education—54% attend school (ages 6-17) vs. 72% non-orphans; 28% orphans never attended vs. 16% non-orphans. Rates are highest in rural regions like Karamoja (19%) and Madi (20%).

Government plans special grants for OVC families, building on updated child policies for broader protection.

Source: Daily Monitor