Despite its economic progress, Uganda remains one of the least developed countries in the world. According to the latest report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Uganda is once again among the least developed countries in the world. With a per capita income of less than US$170, Uganda is today one of the poorest countries in the world, like many neighboring African countries. Today it is a living testimony to the devastation caused by the political unrest and economic decline caused by the insurmountable economic, political and social problems of recent decades. Uganda, like many of its neighboring countries, was previously under colonial rule. This radically changed the course of Uganda in terms of economy, politics and social issues. Under British rule from 1888 to 1894, Ugandan life was all about serving and strengthening the power of the British crown. However, it was not just the British who disrupted Ugandan life. Several other groups, including Protestant and Catholic missionaries, also helped change the course of this landlocked country. This essentially means that there has been little progress by Uganda during this period in establishing itself as a self-interested nation. This decades-long barrier to self-sufficiency is a large part of why Uganda continues to struggle today. It was not until October 9, 1962 that Uganda finally broke free from British rule. This British rule can be said to have played a potentially major role in the Uganda we know today. Politically the people of Uganda really had no say, even though they were not directly ruled by the crown their government was essentially a puppet government meaning... middle of paper...... Uganda as well. The population of about 36 million is growing at an annual rate of 3.4%, but HIV/AIDS and malaria have affected parts of Uganda, making it difficult for them to continue upward development. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has specifically caused the deaths of large numbers of young adults and orphaned up to 1.2 million children. On the other hand, malaria shows, according to recent estimates, that the disease kills at least 100,000 Ugandans per year, most of them children under the age of five. However, HIV/AIDS infection levels in Uganda have shown a slight decline over the past decade due to a national campaign to control the spread of the virus. As malaria continues to run rampant, although it would be simple for the government to help alleviate the problem by spending more on mosquito nets and other preventative methods..