By Caleb Bahikano

THE prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the Police is worrying, the AIDS control programme officer in the Uganda Police Force, Frances Mbabazi, has said.

She attributed the infections among the Police to the nature of their work as they are the first to reach scenes of accidents where some of the casualties may be victims of HIV/AIDS and end up contracting the disease.

Mbabazi made the remarks last week during a three-day workshop organised to build the capacity of Police officers as behaviour change agents against HIV.

The ceremony was held at the Rukungiri Catholic social centre. A total of 35 Police officers were trained in skills of handling people living with HIV/AIDS and how to avoid contracting the disease.

The project, which is funded by USAID under a programme to support public sector workers, to expand action and responses to HIV also operates in the districts of Bushenyi, Ibanda, Masaka, Lira, Kapchorwa and Nebbi.

“We hope that this programme will cover the whole nation in future, so that the Police change their behaviour to minimise the prevalence of HIV in the force,” Mbabazi said.

She did not disclose the number of Police officers infected with the disease but said the prevalence is almost double that of the whole nation, which is at 5.9%.