- 33 - inadequacy of the agrarian reform programme appears to have had a negative impact on the full realization of the right to food as enshrined in article 11 of the Covenant. 120. With regard to health services, the Committee notes the Government’s plans to privatize and decentralize much of its programme. While there is no reason that the private sector should not be fully involved in the provision of health services, the Committee emphasizes that such an approach does not in any way relieve the Government of its Covenant-based obligation to use all available means to promote adequate access to health-care services, particularly for the poorer segments of the population. The Committee was unable to receive any assurances from the Government that its current plans have sought to address this issue adequately. 121. In terms of the availability of resources, the Committee notes with concern that a greater proportion of the national budget is devoted to military spending than to housing, agriculture and health combined. 122. The Committee notes with concern that, in the face of a rapidly growing population infected by HIV and AIDS, only several hundred of an affected population estimated by WHO to be in excess of 30,000 have been registered under the Government’s programme. This would seem to indicate that the programme is either punitive of those who register or is not adequately publicized and made available to victims of the virus. In addition, the Committee was not provided with any information indicating that the Government is seeking to combat widespread discrimination against the victims of the virus. E. Suggestions and recommendations 123. The Committee recommends that consideration be given to increasing the proportion of the national budget devoted to slum-upgrading programmes, to community mortgage programmes and to programmes in the field of health and agriculture designed in particular to benefit the poorer groups in society. 124. The Committee also recommends that greater emphasis should be placed, within the framework of official development assistance provided by donor countries, on support for social adjustment programmes for purposes such as the financing of low-interest credit for the poorest farmers, slum-upgrading and other programmes for housing the poor. The Committee recalls that every effort must be made in times of structural adjustment to ensure that the basic economic, social and cultural rights of the poorest and most disadvantaged sectors of the population are protected to the greatest extent possible. 125. The Committee recommends that more detailed, policy-oriented studies be undertaken in relation to the situation of street children and would appreciate receiving information on the number of persons who have been punished for offences relating to the sexual exploitation of children. 126. The Committee urges the Government to take all appropriate measures to implement national legislation and the provisions of the Covenant concerning the protection of children from economic and sexual exploitation in particular, and to promote and guarantee the respect of their rights to education, health and housing.