Many who survive suffer from malnutrition and disease and do poorly in school.
Malnutrition is high for a fertile country with a relatively stable food supply.
About one in four preschool children are underweight for their age, and two in five are stunted. Poor feeding practices, a high incidence of infectious diseases, a low level of education among mothers, and poverty are all factors. Both children and their mothers lack iron, iodine, Vitamin A, and other micronutrients in their diets. The consequences are low birth weight, goiter, reduced mental capacity, and even cretinism. The aftermath of the Ugandan civil war and the AIDS epidemic compound these problems.