Poor conditions fuel deaths among Uganda's teachers - Union

The Uganda National Teachers Union has said there has been a high number of deaths among teachers, mainly caused by ill health due to poor working conditions.

According to the union, more than 1,000 teachers in the country have died in the last two years. It said Uganda is at risk of facing a shortage of teachers by 2025 as poor conditions push more and more teachers out of the profession.

"These deaths are as a result of the working and living conditions. There are stress factors in relation to the pressure of work, because it is overwhelming," Baguma Filbert Bates, the General Secretary of Uganda's National Teachers Union told BBC's Newsday programme.

He added that Ugandan teachers are constantly stressed by an overwhelming workload caused by understaffing, as well as a paycheck of about 490,000 Ugandan shillings ($125; £100) per month. Mr Bates said this amount is inadequate in sustaining teachers and their families in the current economic environment.

He said the union has repeatedly urged the government to improve teachers' welfare, which would in turn boost the quality of education received by students.

"Whenever there is need for political priorities, money is found. Therefore, we cannot say the Ugandan child should be sacrificed because of the economy," Mr Bates said.