Documentary on corruption spotlights health care, the myth of universal primary education in Uganda: Where has the aid gone?
The serious and devastating impacts of corruption in Uganda and other developing nations is highlighted quite effectively in the stellar, must-see documentary “Addicted to Aid,” .
Sierra Leonean journalist Sorious Samura takes us to the heart of the blood diamonds industry in Sierra Leone, secretly filming sales of donated medicines and mosquito nets provided by UNICEF.
In Uganda, Samura highlights the plight of Mulago hospital in Kampala, Uganda’s bustling capital city. There, Samura and his camera crew encounter a wounded patient slowly bleeding to death in the hospital lobby. His pleas for help are ignored by what he describes as “overworked” hospital staff.
In the maternal ward, women and newborns lounge on the blood-spattered floors of overcrowded rooms, despite the millions of aid dollars that have poured into the Ugandan health care system.
Samura also tours a few Ugandan schools and reveals the myth of the success of Universal Primary Education (UPE).
Andrew Mwenda, a popular Ugandan journalist featured in the film, says donor aid instead of going to help the poorest Ugandans, “lines the pockets of civil servants, high end health workers and politicians.”
Segments to Note on Uganda:
- The state of Mulago hospital in Uganda’s capital city Kampala: 12:35
- Universal Primary Education (UPE) in Uganda: 09:30
- Andrew Mwenda, Ugandan journalist on health care and corruption: 10:49
- Mike Mikula, Ugandan Health Minister accused of embezzling funds: 08:40
*Addicted to Aid was first shown on the BBC November, 2008
