Uganda AIDS Commission courts women church leaders in HIV fight

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The chairperson of the Uganda AIDS Commission, Dr Ruth Senyonyi, has urged women to take the lead in combating the spread of HIV/AIDS if the country is to meet its 2030 goal of ending the epidemic as a public health threat.

She made the appeal during the Church of Uganda’s annual women’s conference held at the Anglican Shrine on Monday, June 2. The women’s conference is an annual event that takes place on the eve of the Martyrs Day celebrations.

Senyonyi, a former president of the Mothers’ Union, explained that the Commission is targeting women in religious institutions because they interact with various groups of people.

“It is an opportunity for the AIDS Commission to partner with women because they easily share the message starting from their households, to the community where they live and around them,” she said.

Women interact after the first session of the women conference. (Credit: Prossy Nandudu)

One of the key messages Senyonyi wants the women to promote is encouraging those they interact with to take action by knowing their HIV status through testing.

Currently, HIV testing is being supplemented with screening for cancer and tuberculosis, which are commonly associated with people living with HIV/AIDS.

Senyonyi said such interventions will help the government achieve its goal of eliminating HIV/AIDS as a public threat by 2030.

As part of this goal, the Commission seeks to achieve zero new infections. Senyonyi explained that this can be realised if individuals know their status, those who test positive start treatment promptly, and those on treatment continue taking their medication to suppress the virus, preventing it from causing illness and further transmission.

Another pillar in this effort is to ensure that no one dies from AIDS-related illnesses.

“We don't want death due to AIDS. No one should die due to AIDS, that means whoever is on medication should take it religiously to prevent AIDS from setting in, as this is the most dangerous bit,” she added.

The third key strategy, according to Senyonyi, is eliminating stigma and discrimination, which often prevent people from seeking vital services such as testing and access to antiretroviral drugs.

In support of Senyonyi’s message, the Ministry of Health has set up various HIV testing and counselling points at both the Anglican and Catholic shrines to enable pilgrims and other interested individuals to easily check their HIV status.

During the same conference, Roslyn Biingi Kawiso, the President of the Mothers’ Union in Namirembe Diocese, appealed to parents to give equal attention to the boy child in parenting.

“Let’s apportion boys their roles like it was in the past, where boys took on the role of leadership just like their fathers. The problem is that more attention is on the girl child. I encourage parents to increase their focus on the boy child so they reclaim their positions in society,” she said.

Reflecting on the day’s theme, drawn from Galatians 6:9, Grace Murengezi, the provincial president of the Mothers’ Union in the Church of Uganda, encouraged women to practise forgiveness in all situations, just as the Uganda Martyrs did, in order to receive their heavenly reward.

“Let us take the legacy of the Martyrs. Let us be prayerful and forgive each other; at the end of the day, we shall get our crown. Let us make use of tips of proper parenting that women leaders are sharing with us in this conference to nurture our homes and children,” Murengezi said.

This year’s Martyrs Day celebrations at the Anglican shrine will be graced by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. The lead preacher will be Archbishop Emeritus Henry Luke Orombi. Meanwhile, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, has called for peace, unity and humanity in the lead-up to the 2026 general elections.