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Abstract
Due to high prime-age mortality in Uganda, a result of the HIV/AIDS scourge, the number of children
who have lost at least one parent continues to rise in the country. The increase in numbers of
orphans has challenged the overall socio-protection mechanisms and in particular threatens the
country’s ability to achieve education development targets. Using the 2002/03 Uganda National
Household Survey, this study investigates the impact of parental death—from HIV/AIDS as well as
causes on the school enrollment and grade for age school progression. We find that HIV/AIDS
orphans are not significantly less likely to continue schooling but are by far more likely to fall below
their appropriate grade. On the other hand, we find that all orphans—regardless of cause of parental
death are less likely to continue schooling and the gaps in enrollment decreases at higher levels of
household welfare status—poor orphans are significantly less likely to continue schooling.