Minister calls for men's involvement in fighting HIV

The State minister for Karamoja affairs, Moses Kizige (Left) with Mayuge District LC5 Omar Bongo show a commitment paper signed to fight against HIV/AIDS in Mayuge. Photos by Betty Angatai

The state minister for Karamoja affairs, Moses Kizige, has called upon men to actively participate in the fight against HIV/AIDS through testing and disclosing their status to their partners.

He noted that the government and development partners have come up with different initiatives to fight against the scourge but there is a great challenge that men are shunning away from active involvement.

"Most men don't want to go for HIV testing. A few that test don't disclose their status to their partners," Kizige said. He said that the government has tried in elimination of mother to child transmission, encouraging HIV positives in taking ARVS but there is low male involvement.

He was speaking during the district world AIDS day cerebrations at Bulyangadda Muslim primary school, in Mpungwe Sub County, Mayuge district on Friday.

Kizige noted that vices such as having multi sexual partners, prostitution and lack of disclosure have led to increased new HIV infections among people.

He also attributes to high HIV rates to poverty among people in communities. He said that most girls and women are lured into sex for monetary gains and at the end they contract the HIV/AIDS disease.

 "Poverty is one of the factors pushing people to contract HIV. Some girls and women engage in sex for survival and to earn a living because their parents can't afford," Kizige said.

However, he advised the people in Busoga sub region to work hard through engaging in agriculture and other developmental income generating activities. He said that it's through such developmental initiatives that will help in the end of HIV spread.

"Let us work to eradicate poverty in homes and communities and then we shall be able to fight HIV/AIDS," Kizige said. He also urged parents to educate their children and tipped them on good parenting.

"Feed children at schools and also provide requirements to avoid falling victims. This will keep them in schools," Kizige said. He said not contributing to children's feeding has affected the performance of children and deteriorated the health of some pupils who are HIV positive.

Paddy Babolana, the district chairperson of people living with HIV/AIDS cited a challenge of lack of health facilities in some sub counties accredited for ARVS.

"Seven sub counties out of 14 don't have health facilities accredited to give ARVS. Most patients walk long distances to access drugs in the recommended facilities but sometimes the facilities have registered stock outs," Babolana said adding that this has caused drug resistance among some HIV patients.

Minister Kizige (Left) hands over a certificate of recognition to Paddy Babolana, the Mayuge district chairperson for people living with HIV. Babolana has lived with HIV for 25 years.

 
He asked the district health department to create distribution points for ARV drugs in the sub counties that lack recommended facilities to enable access to health services.

 Mayuge LC5 chairperson, Omar Bongo said that HIV/AIDS is still a problem and it has led to vulnerability of people and children.

He directed the district health department to create distribution points in order to enable HIV patients access timely health services and drugs.

Bongo said "It's really unfair for people to sit for long hours waiting for drugs and at the end they are unattended to,"

Rita Nadamba, the coordinator for Uganda health and development associates (UDHA), the organization working in Mayuge district on AIDS issues said that some HIV positive individuals don't take ARVs drugs due to stigma.

"Stigma is still a challenge and it has caused some people to avoid taking their drugs," She said adding some secretly take and sometimes skip when their spouses are around.

During the celebrations, certificates were awarded to different individuals and civil society organizations that have helped in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the district.

This year's celebrations were commemorated with the theme of reaching men, girls and young women to put an end to new HIV infections.