By Chris Kiwawulo

ABOUT 3.3 million children are vulnerable to trafficking, abuse and exploitation. Christine Guwatudde, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Gender, said, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the number stood at 49 million children.

“Such children are susceptible to trafficking, sexual exploitation and harassment and the majority of these are orphans.”

Guwatudde said child labour perpetuates poverty and called upon all stakeholders to fight it.

She made the remarks in a speech read by George Bekunda, the director of social protection, on November 25, at the closure of a workshop which discussed how HIV/AIDS forces children into labour.

The meeting at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort Kampala, was organised by the International Programme on the Elimination of Child labour.

Country coordinator Gilbert Ssendugwa said the project, funded by the US labour department, had been implemented in Uganda and Zambia.

According to an evaluation report, 5,338 children have been prevented from child labour in both countries in the last three years.

“Some 1,076 children had completed vocational training and Government schools are receptive in integrating HIV affected children,” the report said.

Following the success of the project which ends this month, the US labour department has earmarked another sh8b to fight child labour in Uganda.