At least 38,000 people contract HIV/AIDS every year, Dr.Nelson Musoba, the Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission has said.
Currently, 1.49 million people live with HIV in Uganda, of whom 92% know their positive HIV status, and over 90% of these are on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).
According to the Aids Commission, HIV prevalence reduced from 18% in the 1990s to 5.1% today. The new HIV infections have reduced from 68,000 to 38,000; and AIDS-related deaths reduced from 30,000 to 20,000.
The Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programs too have been effective, reducing the annual number of babies who acquire HIV from their mothers from 8,800 in 2017 to 4,700 this year.
“In 2024, 4,700 babies with HIV infection acquired it from their mothers, yet there is treatment available at the various health facilities in the country that can prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV,” he said.
Despite this great success, the epidemic is still generalised, with pockets of concentration among key and vulnerable groups. The HIV prevalence is higher among adolescent girls and young women, almost four times higher than in their male counterparts.
Of the 38,000 new HIV infections mentioned above, 22,000 occurred among women, especially adolescents and young women aged 15-24 years. The country is unlikely to meet the 2025 target of 18,000 new HIV infections annually. Prevalence among sex workers is still high.
“There is a deteriorating trend in the behavioural and structural indicators, such as the increase in multiple sexual partnerships, suboptimal condom use at high-risk sex, as well as increasing sexual based violence—all these potentially increasing vulnerabilities to HIV,” he said.
In a bid to Fast Track Initiative to End AIDS as a Public Health Threat by 2030, the government is engaging men in HIV prevention and closing the tap on new infections, particularly among adolescent girls and young women.
“Accelerate Implementation of Test and Treat and attainment of the fast track 90-90-90 targets, particularly among men and young people; that is, 90% of all people who are HIV positive have been identified through HIV testing; 90% of all who test positive are enrolled in treatment; and 90% of all who are on treatment achieve viral suppression. This has been updated to a new target of 95-95-95,” he said.
