Northern region takes the Y+ Beauty Pageant grand finale

HIV/AIDS   VIRUS

KAMPALA - Northern region proved they are not a plain nut to crack. The region beat the other three Ugandan regions to usher in winners of the most coveted titles of Mr and Miss Y+ (young positive) 2020/2021.  

19-year-old Oscar Otim from Lira District and 22-year-old Gladys Aol from Gulu district were crowned the national Mr and Miss Y+, thus becoming the country's ambassadors to lead the fight against stigma and discrimination in their communities.

The seventh edition of the Y+ Beauty Pageant was held last Friday at Kampala Serena Hotel in the most scientific style. Otim and Aol beat eighteen finalists from auditions held in different regions countrywide.

The Y+ beauty pageant campaign which is organized by the Uganda Network of Young People Living with HIV/AIDS (UNYPA) is aimed at fighting stigma and discrimination, ensuring zero new HIV infections and zero AIDS-related deaths.

The Ambassador of the US to Uganda, Natali Brown, who was the chief guest, Dr Maxime Houinato the country representative UN Women, Dr Lisa Nelson the Uganda CDC Country Director and Dr Maggie Kigozi, the board chairperson of the global fund CCM in Uganda, graced the colourful event.

The 2020 beauty pageant was held under the theme, Changing The Narrative, which, according to UNYPA executive director Nicholas Niwagaba, is to highlight that a young HIV-positive person is not defined by their serostatus, but as a leader who can live a productive life.

"The contest doesn't focus on looks, but how a young HIV-positive person can be a role model for others living with HIV and to increase acceptance of young people living with this condition," he said.

For the last years, the Y+ beauty pageant has raised and empowered over 1000 HIV young ambassadors with skills across the country advocating for the rights of their fellow young women and men in their communities.

Nuwagaba says the campaign is about fighting stigma, building the self-esteem of the young people to be able to overcome the self-stigma, it is about creating awareness about the pandemic in the communities to challenge the negative criticism that comes with people living with HIV.

"It is about building the movement. We started with only 10 contestants when we launched the campaign in 2014. Many of them feared to open up to share their HIV status. But today, we have over 1000 young people, many are willing to tell their stories on TVs, radios, in papers and their communities what it means to be living with HIV," says Nuwagaba.

UNYPA is a platform for young people (aged 16-26) living with HIV to become voices to the voiceless and pillars of strength to those afraid of testing for the condition. When people are scared of their HIV positive status, many of them don't take their medicines, thus infecting others.

"The United States government has boosted HIV prevention and treatment assistance to Uganda especially through the U.S President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and many other HIV interventions. We thank the U.S for that," Niwagaba said.

Both Otim and Aol were born with HIV, and hope to use their victory to do advocacy at the grassroots, talking to peers and giving them their testimony on living with HIV. Aol who is a Youth and Adolescent Peer Supporter (YAPS) at TASO Gulu, says she wants to de-stigmatize the community about HIV/AIDS.

"The struggle against HIV/AIDS will never succeed without addressing stigma. I have personally suffered stigma and I know it can be more lethal than HIV. I am going to fight for the rights of young people who are facing stigma, using my new title - "HIV Ambassador." It's we HIV positive people to de-stigmatize the community about HIV/AIDS, "she says

Otim, a S4 vacist and a YAPS at Lira Regional Hospital, says he is going to sensitize people about the fight against the pandemic, and he believes he can transform lives especially of the young people living with HIV by showing them that they live a productive life even though they have the virus.

" I promise to use all means including social media, vising schools and institutions and corporate organizations to sensitize them more about stigma and tell those who are negative how they can continue to protect themselves not to get it, and for those who are positive how to continue living positively by adhering to their medication," he said.

Natali Brown, Ambassador of the US to Uganda, who said she recently arrived in Uganda, could not hide her excitement to witness young people living with HIV changing the narrative, displaying courage and resilience through the Y+ Beauty Pageant.

She said she has witnessed unprecedented creativity through edutainment by the young HIV positive people through their traditional dances, fashion show, traditional wear and through their very inspiring testimonies of living positively with HIV.

"What a better way to begin my mission in such a beautiful country by taking part in an activity by young people who are committed and determined to change their life, the life of their peers and their communities in general,"

"The United States recognizes that a healthy population is the foundation for the country's economic development. Therefore, every year we invest over five hundred million dollars in Uganda's health sector, the bigger part of this goes to support HIV programs under PEPFAR," she said

Adding, " I am pleased to know that Uganda is utilizing the money properly, and also pleased to learn that you are making great strides in achieving the UNAIDS goals of the 90,90,90." I hail UNYPA for focusing on educating and empowering these young people, and I also thank you the young people for fighting stigma in your communities."

She pledged on behalf of the government of the United States to continue supporting Uganda financially to make sure that together we end AIDS by 2030.

While crowning the winners, the chief judge, founder of Uganda Youth Coalition on Adolescent SRHR and HIV, Musah Lumumba, said they were critical enablers to end AIDS. He called upon young people living with HIV to petition the government to operationalize the Aids Trust Fund (ATF).

The AIDS bill, signed into law in 2014, provides for the creation of ATF through which government should levy taxes on alcohol and soft drinks to fund the fight against HIV and AIDS. Lumumba regretted that the ATF should have been implemented "yesterday." (Some time back).

"There is nothing stopping ATF from being implemented. The object of the fund, according to the law, is to secure a predictable and sustainable means of procuring goods and services for HIV&AIDS counselling, testing and treatment (ARVs and test kits)," he said.

AFT is meant to reverse the current trend of donor reliance to address the funding gaps in the HIV and AIDS fight, but until now we have not seen it being operationalised. We can use this platform to demand the ATF because we cannot continue depending on PEPFAR and Global Fund money to end this epidemic. We need our own money.

1.4 Ugandans are estimated to be living with HIV. Uganda has 6the highest percentage of people aged 15-25 living with HIV in East Africa, 3.7% of females and 2.4% of males in the age group live with HIV, according to 2018 World Population Data Sheet.