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World Population Day: President Museveni Credits Uganda’s Population Youthfulness for COVID-19 Successes

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By Stephen Wandera

KIU, Main Campus - President Yoweri Museveni has said that the youthfulness of Uganda’s population worked in the country’s favour in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Uganda has a predominantly young population with those aged 0–14 years being 47.9% and those below 30 years being 78%. As Ugandans are aware, young people tend to withstand COVID-19 better than the more elderly population,” President Museveni said in his statement to mark World Population Day on July 11.

The cumulative total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Uganda are now 1,013, while total recoveries are 952. There has been no death.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 20% of overall cases are severe or critical, with a crude clinical case fatality rate currently of over 3%, increasing in older age groups and in those with  underlying health conditions.

While warning about the increase in lifestyle diseases or Non-Communicable Diseases(NCDs), President Museveni stated that the country’s predominantly youthful population is turning out to be a demographic dividend in more ways than one. 

“For some time now, I have been stressing this point, that our youthful population is our greatest asset,” he said.

“The NRM Government will continue to provide these young people with education, skills, jobs and healthcare so that they can be gainfully employed, save and invest so that they become the engine of economic growth,” President Museveni added.

Uganda is one of the few countries in the world yet to register a COVID-19 death and the country’s fight against the disease is widely considered a success, so far.