UNAIDS Uganda Director Dr. Jacqueline Makokha addressing the media
By George Bukenya
As we are nearing to enter into the festive season, the Chairperson of the Uganda Aids Commission Canon Dr. Ruth Ssenyonyi has warned the youths to avoid engaging in unsafe sex in order to avoid the risks involved in it.
Ssenyonyi made the warning in a press conference about the forth coming commemoration of the International Aids day which takes place every 1st of December.
She said in the festive season people get exited especially the youth and indulge in unsafe sex which increases their risk of acquiring HIV.
She also revealed that AIDS related deaths have reduced tremendously according to the 2023 report, of the 1,490,000 people living with HIV in Uganda, over 1,300,000 have are virally suppressed.
Currently, the national HIV prevalence stands at 5.1% down from the 18% recorded in the 1990s and early 2000s the reduction is attributed to the innovations, science and technology with led to the great strides, which have enhanced people’s knowledge of how to manage the HIV Virus.
“Despite the achievement registered in suppression of HIV virally, according to Dr. Ssenyonyi, Uganda is still facing a high burden of new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24. In such group, HIV prevalence is four times higher than that of their male counterparts.
“Still according to the report, many babies are being born with HIV and 4,700 were registered in 2023 yet there are drugs in health centers that an HIV Positive mother can take to enable her deliver an HIV negative baby,’’ Dr Ssenyonyi noted.
In an effort geared towards ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, Uganda through Aids Commission is engaging men in HIV prevention so as to close the tap on new infections, accelerate implementation of Test and Treatment and attainment of the fast track.
Consolidation of progress on elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV, and also ensuring financial sustainability for HIV and AIDS response participation of all stakeholders to develop a roadmap to ensure that there’s continuity in improving impact, effectiveness and long-term resilience.
The UNAIDS country Director Dr. Jacqueline Makokha said that there’s great need for Uganda to address the challenge of new infections and also ensuring that people are on treatment and live a quality life such that they can contribute to development.
She also urged Uganda government to increase funding and responsibility in terms of meeting response to HIV something she says will help greatly reduce on the number of new infections.
Globally there ‘re 22 million people suffering HIV disease and are on treatment, however there has also been a registered decline in HIV relate deaths by 51%, due to wide access to retroviral treatment since 2001 to date.
The Minister of Health Dr. Ruth Jane Aceng revealed that government spend UGX 700,000 on each HIV patient annually and close a total of UGX 490 billion for HIV management including buying drugs.
“ If we can prevent new HIV infection and end it by 2030 as planed then we can save that much funds spent on treatment this money can be invested in fighting poverty,’’ Dr. Aceng stated.
She also said Uganda contributes 20% of the total budget required in the management of the HIV monster annually and a whopping 80% is funded by the donors.