Museveni says Uganda is winning HIV & AIDS battle

1st December 2021

"We should increase knowledge on treatment as a pathway for viral suppression," says President Museveni.

President Yoweri Museveni speaking during the World AIDS Day national commemoration at Kololo Independence Grounds on Wednesday. (Credit: Mpalanyi Ssentongo)

NewVision Reporter

@NewVision

#World AIDS Day 2021 #Uganda #HIV

WORLD AIDS DAY 2021

President Yoweri Museveni has urged all Ugandans to test for HIV "because treatment is available".

Speaking during the World AIDS Day national commemoration at Kololo Independence Grounds on Wednesday, Museveni told the nation that "we have come a long way in fighting HIV and AIDS and today, I can say with confidence that we are winning the battle".

As many as 1.4 million people are living with HIV in Uganda, with 1.2 million of them on treatment. The national HIV prevalence has dropped to 5.4% from 18% in the 1980s.

In all this, though, the number of people living with HIV is growing "because it is cumulative", and Museveni said that since there are more people on treatment now, fewer are dying and more are surviving.

Meanwhile, he assured that if there has been a relapse in the HIV and AIDS response due to the recent attention invested in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the former efforts will be revived in earnest.

This year's World AIDS Day commemoration, the second one held during the coronavirus pandemic, was themed: End stigma, end AIDS, end pandemics.

UN Resident Coordinator Susan Ngongi Namondo

UN Resident Coordinator Susan Ngongi Namondo

With Uganda currently faced with a "double jeopardy" of COVID-19 and HIV & AIDS, the President said everyone's involvement is important.

"We should increase knowledge on treatment as a pathway for viral suppression. Everyone has a role to play in preventing HIV and AIDS. It is not a job for only the government and health professionals."

Pushing for public sensitization, Museveni said more noise has to be made - right from the grassroots. "Once the public knows what to do, things become much easier."

Therefore, he sent out a message to the different sections of society.

"The main message for young people remains abstinence. They should focus on their studies, until they are old enough to face the world. Young people, do not be in a hurry to have sex because there are many consequences you will not handle."

Museveni urged parents to spend "quality time with their children, setting an example for them to follow, and equipping them with skills on how to avoid peer pressure".

At Kololo, as many as 200 young people were passed out (below), and these will train fellow youths about mindset change, patriotism and HIV prevention.

Men have been recorded to continue to die more because they delay to go for HIV testing, hence start treatment late. With that in mind, President Museveni urged men to steer clear of reckless lifestyles, and instead be responsible for their families and wives.

He rallied religious leaders to continue providing "clear and accurate information" HIV and AIDS to the faithful, and local leaders to organised regular community dialogues to address the pertinent issues that pivot on HIV and AIDS.

Ruth Akulu, an HIV advocate, giving her testimony

Museveni strongly believes that behavoural change is still key in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Therefore, his clarion call to the nation is to continue with the ABC strategy - abstinence, being faithful and using a condom.

He thanked the donor community for their support in Uganda's HIV and AIDS response, albeit adding that he is aware that the donor support "has been reducing with competing priorities".

In a special way, Museveni was also keen to recognize all the individuals who have given Ugandans hope through their "tireless" efforts in the HIV and AIDS fight - the likes of Noerine Kaleeba, the co-founder of the AIDS activism group TASO.

Ugandan entertainer MC Kats was in attendance. Seated at the back are the youth patriots

'Deep emotional wounds'

Earlier, speaking on behalf of the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, which he chairs, Archbishop Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu (Church of Uganda) called for a united assault on stigma.

"We need to reflect deeply upon the words stigma and AIDS, and what they mean in terms of ending AIDS as a public threat in our country," he said.

"If we are to end AIDS, we must work together to banish the stigma that so often makes society harsh in relation to people living with [HIV and] AIDS.

The archbishop said people living with HIV need "acceptance, belonging and comfort of being part of a caring community", adding that being on the receiving end of rejection "leaves them with deep emotional wounds".

Rallying his fellow religious leaders, Kaziimba said they should use their positions of influence in society to ensure that the public is focused on the "real issues", including access to quality services and fighting stigma and discrimination.

"And for our conversations to continue, we need more safe spaces for dialogue at different levels society. The lines of communication must be kept open."

Need for treatment literacy

Dr. Stephen Watiti is the chairperson of Uganda's National Forum for People Living with HIV & AIDS.

Speaking at Kololo, he underlined that while strides have been made in the HIV and AIDS campaign, challenges remain.

"We know that not all people who are on treatment are doing very well. One of the reasons is stigma, which is a major structural barrier and plays a major role in influencing people to seek services - which are widely available," he said.

Dr. Stephen Watiti speaking at Kololo on Wednesday

Watiti said many people living with HIV that have faced stigma "feel ashamed" and therefore shy away from seeking medicine.

Adhering to antiretroviral treatment religiously ensures the virus is not transmitted, say, from a mother to her unborn child.

The advent of COVID-19 in 2020 was disruptive to the provision and receiving of critical services. Some people went off treatment. Some had the drugs but could not take them because they lacked food, said Watiti.

His appeal to Government is to help the over one million Ugandans on HIV treatment. "They need treatment literacy (understanding how to swallow medicine when you are not sick)".

"We appeal to Government that people living with HIV, who are known and are registered in the over 1,800 ARV centres around the country are put on the list of people who are vulnerable."

On the positive side, there are interventions that have helped in addressing stigma through economic empowerment programmes. The HIV and AIDS response has also been bolstered by individual champions including Rtd. Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga and Rev. Can Gideon Byamugisha.

Rtd. Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga

Ruranga has been living with HIV for more than 30 years. In 1992, Rev. Can Byamugisha became the first religious leader in Africa to publicly announce that he was HIV positive.

"We are happy that the Global Network of People Living with HIV has come up with global partnerships to eliminate all forms of stigma, focusing on family, community, health facilities, workplaces.

"We believe that health facilities and workplaces should be stigma-free," said Watiti.

'We are emerging stronger'

Dr. Nelson Musoba, the director-general of Uganda AIDS Commission, said the COVID-19 pandemic "did not spare the national HIV and AIDS response".

But not all is gloom and doom. The progress report bears positive news.

"From the COVID-19 pandemic, we are emerging stronger. HIV prevalance has dropped to 5.4% in 2020 from 6.2% in 2016," he said.

"However, there was a decline in 41% HIV testing services and 37% referrals for diagnosis and treatment during the pandemic."

Dr. Nelson Musoba, the director-general of Uganda AIDS Commission

In June 2017, President Museveni launched a master plan to end AIDS (Presidential Fasttrack Initiative) as a public health threat by 2030. In his comments, Musoba focused on the master plan's five pillars:

1. Engage men in HIV prevention and close the tap on new infections, particulerly among adolescent girls and young women.

2. Accelerate the implementation of test and treat and attain the fasttrack 90-90-90 targets by 2020.

3. Consolidate progress on elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV.

4. Ensure financial sustainability of the HIV and AIDS response.

5. Ensure institutional effectiveness for a well co-ordinated multisectoral response.

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📸 PICTURES FROM KOLOLO . . .

The US ambassador to Uganda, Natalie Brown (centre), arriving at Kololo