The lack of food in Jinja district's rural communities is exposing young girls to falling prey to men some of whom are HIV-positive. 

“Food is a big challenge. You will discover that a family has hired out family land to a sugarcane grower for years with no land left for growing food crops.

In due course, girls end up involving themselves in early sex to feed the family,” Ismail Aliga Makumbi, a member of Busedde Community Development Organisation,  said.

The revelation comes as latest reports from Jinja district indicate a high infection of HIV among children and youth aged between 11 and 24 years.

Jinja district HIV and AIDS focal person, Dr John Balidawa says there is a high number of young people getting infected with HIV yet many have a challenge of accessing counseling services and starting on antiretroviral therapy because of stigma and discrimination in the communities they live in. 

5,000 young people infected

Balidawa says Jinja city and district have a total of 27,000 people living with HIV out of which 5,000 are aged between 11 and 24 years. 

He says one of the reasons HIV infections are high in the young is because of complacency and ignorance.

Balidawa made the remarks during the belated commemoration of World AIDS Day which was mobilised by Busedde Community Development Organisation in partnership with Kiwanis Busedde Community Club in Busedde sub-county, Jinja district on Saturday, (December 10, 2022 )

“As a result of ignorance, youth in the community also lack parental guidance about the dangers of HIV and AIDS,” Balidawa said. 

The event was marked by a two-day HIV voluntary testing of 2,000 people. 

Infections higher in girls

“The infection is higher among girls than the boys, but we engage fellow youth (peer educators) who are HIV-positive to counsel them and enroll them on ART because such people listen to their peers," she said. 

Ismail Aliga Makumbi of Busedde Community Development Organisation said during a voluntary HIV testing before this year's World AIDS Day, it was found that many young children below the age of 11 were HIV-positive.