I am happy that Kampala City was chosen as the venue for this international conference on “Building Healthy Cities.” The choice of Kampala could not have come at a better moment for a city grappling with epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and cholera, that have, in combination with many others, strained her already limited health services infrastructure.

On the other hand, the choice reflects recognition of Kampala City and Uganda’s concerted efforts to reconstruct an economy that is coming out of decades of turmoil that had reduced the country to the status of the pariah of Africa. In its reconstruction effort, the Ugandan government has placed a lot of emphasis on improving social service delivery, recognizing that access to good health and education play a very important role in development. This emphasis has begun to yield fruits as evidenced in the declining levels of HIV/AIDS prevalence in Kampala City and the coun- try at large, as well as the increasing resources being availed for improving health services. At the same time, the Government of Uganda has been implementing universal primary education (UPE) since 1997 and thereby greatly enhancing literacy among the poor and other disadvantaged children, with special emphasis on the education of female children.

 I am happy that Kampala City was chosen as the venue for this international conference on “Building Healthy Cities.” The choice of Kampala could not have come at a better moment for a city grappling with epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and cholera, that have, in combination with many others, strained her already limited health services infrastructure.

On the other hand, the choice reflects recognition of Kampala City and Uganda’s concerted efforts to reconstruct an economy that is coming out of decades of turmoil that had reduced the country to the status of the pariah of Africa. In its reconstruction effort, the Ugandan government has placed a lot of emphasis on improving social service delivery, recognizing that access to good health and education play a very important role in development. This emphasis has begun to yield fruits as evidenced in the declining levels of HIV/AIDS prevalence in Kampala City and the coun- try at large, as well as the increasing resources being availed for improving health services. At the same time, the Government of Uganda has been implementing universal primary education (UPE) since 1997 and thereby greatly enhancing literacy among the poor and other disadvantaged children, with special emphasis on the education of female children.