Health seeking behavior in Uganda: Are orphans more disadvantaged? Re-analysis of the 2019/20 Uganda National Household Survey

A “vulnerable child” is anyone below the age of 18 years who is currently experiencing or likely to experience lack of adequate care and protection. With the weakening of the family extension system which used to take care of orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCs), it is not surprising that orphans were found to have high levels of morbidity and poor health seeking behaviour. The paper studies the relationship between OVCs and health outcomes and health seeking behaviour. The source of data was the 2019/20 Uganda National Household Survey. Findings indicated that 19.7% of the children had been sick within the last 30 days prior to the survey and malaria was the main cause of illness (56.6%) among children reported sick. Orphanhood did not explain morbidity but a big determinant in health seeking behavior. Type of orphanhood affected a child being reported sick while poverty explained most of the difference in health seeking behavior. Urban residents sought services more than rural residents. The paper recommends that government should improve the public health system. Many who did not seek services gave reasons indicating that the services are costly, while long distance to health centres was also an issue of concern.