Batoro, Acholi, Banyankore top HIV prevalence list

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Uganda’s 2013 HIV successes

By Jackie Nalubwama

ARVs: More Ugandans on treatment than those getting infected. 173,000 people get free ARVs, more than 140,000 estimated to have got infected last year.

Fewer babies born with the virus. Baby infections reduced by 70%

Over 2.1 million sexually active males circumcised out of the 4.2 million targeted by 2015. Over one million circumcised in past one year.

Uganda may have reduced the rate of new infections per year, but the current infection rate of 375 young people (15-24) per day is still very high.

During a press conference at Vision Group offices in Kampala, Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga, who is an activist and commissioner at the Uganda AIDS Commission, called on the media to disseminate correct information about HIV/ AIDS.

Vision Group, together with the Uganda AIDS Commission, USAID and Philly Lutaaya Cares, pledged to strongly bring back the agenda to fight against HIV using the media.

This year’s World AIDS Day theme is: Getting to Zero; My responsibility.

It is not enough to entertain people when tomorrow you are going to get them infected,” said Rubaramira about the scantily dressed women in music videos and soap operas that air on TV.

Calling on Ugandans to take charge of their lives, Emmanuel Kayongo, a media manager in USAID’s Communication for Health Communities, said: “If you are infected, get treatment and if you are negative, use condoms. We are also asking people to get off the sexual network.”

Philly Lutaaya Cares’s Guy Kimbowa, said the organisation’s aim is to support people living with HIV and remember those that succumbed to the disease, like his late uncle, the legendary singer and AIDS activist, Philly Lutaaya.

He thanked Vision Group for the initiative to give red ribbons to New Vision and Bukedde readers on December 1.

According to the AIDS Indicator Survey of 2011, Batoro were the most infected with 13% of adults sampled living with HIV.