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Although Uganda has been a global success story in the fight against HIV and AIDS since the first case discovered along the shores of Lake Victoria in the 1980s, the fight still rages on with new infections being reported.

Uganda has made significant progress against HIV and AIDS, but a funding gap can slow down that progress.

Resources mobilised for the response increased from $655,694,076 in the financial year 2020/2021 to $659,886,243 in the financial year 2021/2022, according to the 2022 report on the country’s response to HIV/AIDS pandemic.

However, the resource gap also increased from $77m in the financial year 2020/2021 to $122m in the financial year 2021/2022.

The Government allocation to the HIV and AIDS response increased from $79.5m to $81.2m which was a slight increase from 12 per cent to 13.8 per cent while partners accounted for 85 per cent.

Expenditure per programme area

Supply of (ARVs) Antiretroviral drugs took the lion’s share of $328m (58%) while programme enablers $112m (17%) and prevention took $65m (10%). Research took 28 %, orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) 2.2%, social protection 4% and HIV testing and counselling (HTS) 6%.

A call for more funding

The finance ministry has since instructed all ministries, department and local government to allocate 0.1% to handle HIV interventions.

On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, the state minister for Kampala told the Uganda AIDS Commission to follow up and ensure that the allocated resources are utilised to implement HIV-related interventions.

Sarah Nakku from UNAIDS also reiterated that local government leaders should ensure that 0.1 per cent of the local government budgets is allocated to HIV/AIDS activities as directed by the Ministry of Finance.

AHF Uganda Cares Country Programme Director, Henry Magala, recently raised the issue of limited access to Adolescent and Youth Health Services.

This lack of services, he said, creates a gap in prevention, education and treatment for young people, a key demographic in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Magala emphasized the need to address this critical barrier, as it can force young women into transactional sex, increasing their risk of contracting HIV.

“Additionally, the implementation of the recently passed tax waiver for young women, aimed at alleviating period poverty, requires urgent action,” he said.

HIV testing and treatment cascade

There are 1,210,906 people living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral therapy and 1,134,636 PLHIV who have suppressed viral loads according to the report. In addition, 1,289,028 PLHIV know their status according to the report.

TB HIV management

As of 2022, 99 percent of Tuberculosis cases tested for HIV. Of these 33 percent tested HIV positive and 94 percent enrolled on ART.

Safe circumcision

Since 2010 there has been an accumulated total of six million circumcised men between the age of 15-29 years.

During the period under review, 490,655 circumcisions were conducted, with 376,649 (77%) of them conducted during community outreaches.

According to the report, one million young men are targeted annually till 80% coverage of safe male circumcision (SMC) is attained for the age group between 15-29 years.

Mother to child transmissions

Regarding the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (E-MTCT) coverage, the fact sheet on the status of HIV response indicates that new infections arising from mother-to-child transmissions of HIV continue to decline due to an aggressive PMTCT strategy.

According to the report, there are 85,000 pregnant women living with HIV receiving ART to prevent vertical transmissions of HIV.

HIV prevalence (Burden of PLHIV)

HIV prevalence or the burden of PLHIV among young people among adults of 15-49 years is 5.1 per cent.

Between 2010 and 2022, there has been a reduction in HIV infections to 40 per cent from 86,000 infections to now 52,000. This translates to over 1000 new infections weekly.

Young people between ages of 15-24 that contributed 70 per cent of new infections were adolescent girls. Between 2010 and 2022, there has been a decline of 65 per cent in AIDS related deaths, i.e. from 48,000 to 17,000 in 2022.

In 2010, the estimated number of PLHIV was 1.1m and in 2022 the number has grown to 1.4m.

A call to action

Uganda Aids Commission and UNAIDS called upon all stakeholders to join the fight against HIV and the emergence of new infections. 

• Young people to abstain from sex until they are ready for the consequences and take responsibility that comes with it.
• Concentrate on your studies and your future.
• Your partner's III status Is not yours. Stop the excuses, go for HIV testing.
• Avoid peer pressure, consequences or sex are not shared by your friends. Just because your friends are talking about and having sex does not mean you should also have it.

Men

• You are the champions, take a lead to end cross generation sex in our communities.
• Medical circumcision can help decrease your risk of contracting HIV, but it is not 100% protective.
• Circumcision must be used with other prevention methods such as abstinence, Faithfulness, and condom use.
• Support your partner to breastfeed, have adequate healthy meals and take medication as prescribed.
• Remember as a man, you can only achieve your dreams if you are healthy. Stay safe from HIV.
• Spend quality time with your children and set an example for them to follow.
• Understand and discuss the unique needs of young people especially adolescents such as body changes and attraction to the opposite sex.
• Create an enabling environment at home for your children to freely discuss body changes and HIV.
• Be Faithful to your partner and keep HIV away.

Leaders

• Ensure inclusion of People Living with HIV in economic empowerment and social protection programs.
• Local Government leaders; ensure that 0.1% of the local government budgets is allocated For HIV and AIDS activities as directed by the MoFPED.
• Ensure that HIV and AIDS coordination structures meet' regularly to discuss HIV and AIDS performance and ensure accountability from HIV and AIDS service providers.