Bosco Baluku, a primary school teacher in Dokolo district, did a couple of HIV tests in 2004 at Lira Hospital and he was positive.

That time, this was regarded as a death sentence. He tested his family too and they were found positive.

The wife and the child also had tuberculosis. So, they were all enrolled on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).

By then, the health workers were using a CD4 count machine to determine who should be put on medication.

Baluku was not enrolled on drugs because his CD4 count was more than 200.

Baluku remained on seprin for six years due to his positive living lifestyle which included adherence, nutrition and drinking safe water.

His wife got three children and they were all HIV-positive.

In 2011, he married another woman who was HIV-negative. They got two children who were HIV-negative.

“It is only one child who is HIV positive. The boy is now 18 years and would have been in Senior Two had it not been the closing of education institutions due to COVID-19. When the boy turned 12, I told him why he was taking ARVs on a daily basis. I explained to him that it was not our intention to pass on the disease,” he says.

Baluku says since 2004, he has never fallen sick. Nevertheless, he was inspired to disclose his HIV status to the community.

He then started a post-test club in Dokolo health units, which brought together all those who had tested, regardless of their status.

“We are about 40 people and we do a lot of things. We train in drama, music and use them to mobilise the community on how to stop HIV spread. Many are active except mainly the HIV-positive colleagues who are shy,” he says.

His focus is on adolescents, especially children who were born with HIV.

“Some of them have reached a sexually active stage and I want to guide them not to infect their HIV negative partners. One way is to marry amongst themselves, adhere to their ARVs to suppress their virus or use protection,” he says.

Baluku says his status is an opportunity to encourage others who are living with HIV to have hope in life.

“I don’t look at my status as a challenge, but an opportunity to take me to another level and get exposed to the world,” he says.

“I will also be counted among a few people who came out to fight this virus. The best weapon which I already have is knowledge,” Baluka says.

At least 148,442 people in Lango sub-region are HIV positive and, out of this, 86,758 are in care and treatment, according to a recent report by the Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services, Lango (RHITES-North).

Dr Gilbert Elijah Sangadi, the disease adviser of RHITES-North, says their target is to reduce the risk of transmission through sex and mother-to-child as well as reduce opportunistic infections.