Summary:

• As Uganda prepares for World AIDS Day, Director General Dr. Nelson Musooba acknowledges progress but expresses concern over persistently high new infection rates, particularly among youth. The focus is on community leadership, increased Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) enrollment, and addressing stigma to achieve the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.

Kampala, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | As Uganda approaches the commemoration of World AIDS Day on December 1st, the nation grapples with a significant hurdle posed by a high number of new infections, jeopardizing the goal of eradicating the epidemic by 2030.

Addressing journalists at the government-owned media center, Dr. Nelson Musooba, the Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission, acknowledged the country’s substantial progress. He highlighted a reduction in the epidemic from 18 percent in the 1980s to the current HIV prevalence of 5.2 percent. Additionally, AIDS-related deaths have decreased from 94,000 to 17,000.

Despite these achievements, Musooba expressed concern about the persistently high rate of new infections, averaging 1,000 people per week, particularly affecting the youth and posing a significant threat. He emphasized the disproportionate impact on girls, with infection rates 3 to 4 times higher than boys, primarily attributed to trans-generational and transactional sex. Musooba urged Ugandans to proactively combat the spread of the disease by knowing their HIV status and accessing accurate information about HIV and AIDS.

Moreover, Musooba noted an increase in enrollment in Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) among people living with AIDS. Out of the estimated 1.433 million people living with HIV in December 2022, 1.4 million had enrolled in ART as of June this year. He underscored the importance of increasing enrollment in HIV treatment to suppress the virus, as undetectable virus levels prevent transmission and new infections.

Jacqueline Makokha, the UNAIDS Country Director, emphasized the crucial role of community leadership in the fight against HIV. She called on the government and stakeholders to fund community-led programs aimed at scaling up the fight against AIDS. Makokha stressed the need to remove barriers to community leadership and create a regulatory environment facilitating the community’s role in providing HIV services, ensuring civil society has the space to protect human rights, especially those of marginalized communities.

Dr. Steven Watiti, former chairman of people living with HIV, cautioned against complacency despite lower prevalence rates and called for collective action to end AIDS by 2030. He highlighted the persistent stigma associated with people living with HIV, impacting their adherence to treatment. Instances of self-stigma, where individuals diagnosed with the virus refrain from disclosing their status, result in non-adherence to medication.

Ruth Awori, Executive Director of Young People Living with HIV, pointed out the low levels of treatment literacy within communities, hindering their ability to lead in the fight against HIV. She highlighted limited funding for the HIV response at the country level and the violation of human rights among those living with the disease. This year’s theme, “Let the Communities Lead,” will be observed with main events in Rakai district.