NATIONAL HIV & AIDS SYMPOSIUM 🎗️

Presented by Joseph Kizza
(Scroll down for earlier updates)
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4:50 pm  

It is a wrap for today. Thursday will be the final day of th National HIV & AIDS Symposium at Makerere Business School (MUBS) in Kampala.

We will be back.
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4:48 pm  

Delivering his Philly Lutaaya Memorial Lecture, Pastor Wilson Bugembe talks of the tragedies in his family that led him to harbour anger for a long time, following the death of his parents and siblings to HIV.

"It is my mother that got sick first and we lived without her for about three months," he says.

"A week before her death, we had to walk about five miles to see her at our grandmother's. But when we got there, she was couldn't stand seeing us in her state - in pain"

Their father died after their mother's death after being admitted at Mulago Hospital in Masaka. He also lost his brothers to the virus, with only him and one brother still alive.

Bugembe says his entire family had been written off to have all died, but he survived without getting the virus.

"I am a miracle. I am a living example of God."

Bugembe encourages all people living with HIV to religiously adhere to their medicine (anti-retroviral treatment).

"Maybe one day we shall find the cure for HIV. But don't die before we find it. Please take your medication," he says.

He urges politicians to throw their weight behing the efforts to end HIV, telling them to "not just think about the next election, but most importantly, also the next generation".

Bugembe, revered for his music, says the Philly Bongole Lutaaya emboldened him to use music to inspire young people to live positively with or without HIV.
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4:23 pm  

Getting groovy . . .

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4:09 pm  

Pastor Wilson Bugembe (left) is set to deliver the Philly Lutaaya Memorial Lecture this afternoon. He is already at the venue of the symposium - Makerere Business School (MUBS).

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3:16 pm  

The afternoon session is mainly for the Philly Lutaaya Lecture and Partnership Forum.

There is a live band too, in tribute to a revered musician that was Philly Bongole Lutaaya, whose life was sadly cut short at the age of 38 by AIDS.

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2:46 pm   |   PICTURED 📸

HIV and AIDS activist Maj. (Rtd) Ruranga Rubaramira . . .

Rev Canon Prof. Gideon Byamugisha . . .

Singer, counsellor and HIV & AIDS activist Aloysius Matovu Joy . . .

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1:55 pm   |   Hundreds test for HIV at symposium

By Lawrence Mulondo:

Hundreds of people, especially youths, are continuing to have free HIV and AIDs testing at the ongoing National HIV and AIDS Symposium at MUBS.

Genatiyo Mwanda, a medical laboratory science officer working with Human Diagnostics Uganda, says over 500 people have so far tested  for HIV from their stall.

They are using the OraQuick HIV self-testing kits and are sensitizing people on prevention of HIV and AIDS.

"Most of the people who have tested so far are between the age of 20 and 25 and 70% have been female so far," he says.

Meanwhile, at the Uganda Cares exhibition and testing stall, over 80 people have tested for HIV and more are still in the queue. Here, they are drawing blood for testing.
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1:02 pm  

Mary Nambirige Mulondo of Makerere University Walter Reed Project explains to New Vision's Lawrence Mulondo how they are using skills in fighting the spread of HIV.


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12:34 pm   |   IN PICTURES 📸

Mary Nambirige Mulondo of Makerere University Walter Reed Project holding some of their products.

Faridah Namukose and Mwajuma Nakamya doing bead work at the Alliance of Women Advocating for Change stall.

Mary Gorret Nalujja, the ambassador of Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Mubende district, interacting with students about arts and crafts.

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12:09 pm   |   'Don't open condom wrapper with teeth'

Joseph Robert Linda, a youth advocate at Uganda Cares, has appealed to sexually active people against opening condom wrappers with their teeth, reports New Vision's Simon Peter Tumwine.

Linda says it is risky, and goes on to demonstrate (in the picture below) the proper way to do it: using only hands.

“In most cases, when a person opens the condom wrapper with their teeth, there are high chances of puncturing the condom, thus risking their life and the that of their partner."

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11:50 am   |   Testing for HIV by yourself

Mwanda Genatiyo is the Human Diagnostics Uganda application specialist and a medical lab science officer from Mbarara University of Science and Technology.

He talks to New Vision's Jacky Achan about the OraQuick HIV Self-Test taken at the symposium. He says most of those who have tested at their stall have turned negative for the virus.

With this self-testing kit, you can perform an HIV test by yourself and interpret the results in private.


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11:24 am   |   Women have highest HIV incidence

Dr. Joshua Musinguzi, programme manager of AIDS Control Programme, is delivering a presentation of Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) and the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTC) impact assessment.

He says their findings found that the HIV incidence (rate of new HIV infections) is highest in women. Four in 1,000 women got infected as compared to two in 1,000 men.

He adds that older adolescent girls and young women have the highest incidence and new infections.
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10:53 am   |   Join the conversation online

We are using the hashtag #EndAIDS2030Ug on Twitter for the symposium. Feel free to engage HERE.

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10:25 am  

HIV testing and prevention should start early, says Dr. Catherine Senyimba, the director of programmes at Mildmay Uganda.

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9:57 am  

It has been a musical start to today's programme, with Moses Nsubuga, best known as Supercharger, leading a group of young performers on stage for a series of musical performances in honour of the late Philly Bongole Lutaaya. Supercharger is a musician, radio and TV presenter as well as an HIV advocate, who has lived with HIV since 1994.

The performers are joined at the fore by Rev Canon Prof. Gideon Byamugisha, the founder of Friends of Canon Gideon Foundation (FOCAGIFO).

Phionah Bero, the Miss Y+ Central 2021/22, and Mr. Y+ Central 2022/23 second runner-up have joined in on the singing and dancing.

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9:44 am  

Today's programme is officially under way.
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9:30 am   |   Afternoon session programme

The afternoon session will feature the Philly Lutaaya Lecture and Partnership Forum. It will be chaired by Jesca Ababiku, the chair of the Presidential Affairs Committee and co-chaired by Rev Canon Prof. Gideon Byamugisha, founder of Friends of Canon Gideon Foundation (FOCAGIFO).

During this forum, Sarah Birungi will give a testimony on singing Alone and Frightened with Philly Lutaaya and how it changed her life.

Tezra Lutaaya, the daughter of the late legendary musician, will give remarks on behalf of the family.

Pastor Wilson Bugembe will deliver the Philly Lutaaya Memorial Lecture, the keynote address.

Dr. Michael Etukoit, the executive director of The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) will talk about the role of communities in ending AIDS.

After him, Dennis Galabuzi Ssozi, the national co-ordinator of Parish Development Model (PDM), will talk about harnessing opportunities for youth in the PDM.

Dr. Prosperous Nankindu, the minister for social affairs in Buganda kingdom, will the guest speaker. Her topic will be the role of cultural institutions in ending AIDS by 2030 - the case of Buganda kingdom.

Dr. Peter Wakooba, the head of monitoring and evaluation at UAC, did a presentation of the Aide Memoire.
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9:25 am   |   Morning session programme

The second plenary session of the morning will be chaired by Stella Kentusi, the excutive director of National Forum of People Living with HIV/AIDS Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU). The co-chair will be World Health Organisation's (WHO) Dr. Kaggwa Mugagga.

This session will be on social support, gender and human rights.

The presenters will be:

- Dr. Stephen Watiti (board chair of NAFOPHANU) on what young people should know aging with HIV.
- Dr. Martin Muddu (from Makerere University Joint AIDS Programme - MJAP) on non-communicable diseases and HIV.
- Dr. Darius Owachi from Kiruddu Hospital on advanced HIV disease.

Dr. Shaban Mugerwa, the equity plan co-ordinator at UAC, will make a presentation of the legal environment assessement reports.

Today's guest speaker will be Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Makerere University's vice-chancellor. He will talk about the role of research in ending  inequalities among young people, drawing from the experience of the institution he leads.

There will be a panel discussion on the interventions to address inequalities in the HIV and AIDS services for adolescent girls, young women and boys. The moderator for this one will be Emma Ofwono, who sits on the UAC Board. 

The panelists will be;

- Henry Semakula, senior education officer, counselling and guidance at the education ministry
- Mondo Kyateka, assistant commissioner for youth in the gender ministry
- Ruth Awori from UNYPA
- Macklin Kyomya from Alliance of Women Advocating for Change (AWAC)
- Victo Nalule, executive director of TUNAWEZA
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9:20 am   |   Morning session programme

The first part of the morning session will be chaired by Dr. Dennis Tindyebwa and co-chaired by Francis Ssali, the deputy director of Joint Clinical Research Centre.

Dr. Zepher Karabakabo, the director of policy, research and programming at Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) will lead the recap of the opening day.

Phionah Bero, a Y+ Ambassador of Uganda Network of Young People Living With HIV & AIDS (UNYPA), will give a testimony.

Dr. Joshua Musinguzi, programme manager of AIDS Control Programme, will deliver a presentation of Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) and the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTC) impact assessment.

Dr. Sabrina Bakeera-Kitaka will lead a discussion on groundbreaking reerach on ending inequalities among young people..
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9:15 am   |   Good morning everyone

Hello everyone, the second day of the 2022 National HIV & AIDS Symposium is about to get under way at Makerere Business School (MUBS) in Kampala.

It is already a sweltering Wednesday morning, with the dew on the grassy ground of the venue already dried out. This promises to be a sweltering day!