In October 1986, the Ministry of Health with the guidance of Prof. Samuel Okware, set up the AIDS Control Programme (ACP) and the National Committee for the Preventions of AIDS (NCPA).

Working with financial and technical support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), in October 1986, the Government launched the first ACP in Africa, which later became the model.

This was after the Government launched an aggressive, open policy and the media freely reported about HIV/AIDS.

It effectively co-ordinated the first multi-sectoral mobilisation campaign, through which HIV prevention messages were widely disseminated in the country at a critical time when there was a dearth of knowledge and information about the epidemic.

By the early 1990s, Uganda was among the African countries worst hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The Government openly acknowledged the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS, and many partners started coming on board, which was the first step in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The biggest hindrance at the time was the traditional healers, who claimed that they could heal people.

For example, Nanyonga, a lady in Masaka, claimed that the soil behind her house could cure AIDS and so hundreds flocked there.

However, with strong political leadership, a vibrant civil society, and an open and multi-sectoral approach, Uganda sustained an impressive response to the epidemic.

Through the technical oversight and direction of the health ministry, the first national blood transfusion service, the first voluntary, confidential counselling and testing service, the first HIV and AIDS care and support organisation, as well as the first national STD control programme were initiated in Uganda. These interventions slowed the epidemic.

At the beginning, radio and television news bulletins alerted the public. Articles, cartoons and photos about HIV and sex started appearing in newspapers, magazines and television documentaries.

Posters were also pinned up, public rallies were held, teachers were trained to begin effective HIV/AIDS education, and, most importantly, they mobilised community and church leaders who openly adviced people on how to stay free from HIV/AIDS.

At about the same time, the slogans ABC and Zerograzing were introduced.

Young people were encouraged to wait first before having sex or to abstain if they were not virgins.

All sexually active people were given the messages of ‘zero grazing’, which meant staying with regular partners and not having casual sex.

Those who did not abstain were encouraged to use condoms.

In 1987, Noerine Kaleeba founded The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO). Its main objective was to reduce stigma, care for people living with HIV/AIDS, and educate the public. On April 13, 1989, Philly Bongoley Lutaya, who had earlier returned from Sweden, declared that he had AIDS.

Ugandans received the news with shock, but Lutaya went around the country, raising awareness and advising people to protect themselves.

In 1992, the Uganda AIDS Commission was established to ensure a focused and harmonised response towards the fight against HIV/AIDS in Uganda.

Start of victory

The antenatal prevalence dropped to 6.4% in 2001, from 18% in 1992.

More significant declines were noted in urban sites, where the average prevalence rate dropped from 10.9% in 1999 to 8.7% in 2000, compared to declines of 4.3% to 4.2% in rural sites over the same period. The former general director of the Uganda AIDS Commission, Dr Kihumuro Apuuli, attributes the reduction in HIV prevalence to strong political leadership, an open approach to combating the epidemic, and a strong multi-sectoral, decentralised and community response.