The gender ministry, together with United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is going to extend the fight against HIV and AIDS to youth who are out of school in Uganda.

A national dialogue on life skills and health education for out-of-school youth and its implications for the achievement of a national strategy to end HIV and AIDS in Uganda was held on August 8, 2023, under the theme: Achieving Zero New Infections Amongst Youth in Uganda.

During this dialogue, gender ministry commissioner for youth and children Mondo Kyateka, who also moderated the dialogue, said that much emphasis has been put on the youth in school, which has left those out of school neglected without sex education for this cause.

“Those ones in school are easy to reach. We want these out-of-reach people and they are the majority. Many children are not in school, they are out there in communities,” Mondo said.

UNAIDS community and networking advisor Sarah Nakku, who was the keynote speaker at the dialogue, emphasised the need to work with the private sector, which according to her, is another hotspot for increased HIV infections.

“Sexual interactions happen in banks without protection. A young girl told us that for them in the bank, they are like sex workers.” Nakku said.

She added that the knowledge skills among the youth are still incredibly low with a 31% rate. Nakku said 52,000 new infections are recorded in Uganda per year and 212 girls and young women between the age of 15-24 become HIV-positive every week which represents 29% of all new infections according to a report by Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC).

“25% of girls in Uganda do not complete the ordinary level in Uganda. The bigger cohort is those not in school. When we keep them in school, we avoid pregnancies and abortions because, after lockdown, we registered a slight decrease in those cases,” Nakku said.

She also highlighted that the out-of-school youth can be found in areas, including the streets, hotels, saunas, bars as bar attendants, victims of child marriage and roadside vendors. According to Nakku, these youths are sexually abused while working in such places.

Gender ministry permanent secretary David Kibenge said there is a need for the Government to work with religious leaders and cultural institutions to end dangerous cultural and social norms that increase the risks of HIV infections among young people.

“Programmes targeting out-of-school youth who are in millions are currently very few, scattered and unsustainable. These people are seemingly left out.”

He also urged young people to take care of themselves and he recommended that the national dialogue be made annually so as to keep tabs on the data and the various implementations discussed.

“To all the youth, HIV is not a death sentence, but a life sentence. Your body is your temple. Test yourself and no matter how much you love someone, no one is worth your life,” Kibenge said.