The fight against AIDS in Uganda is complicated by the high prevalence of HIV among key populations.
According to the Uganda AIDS Commission, commercial sex workers and men who have sex with men are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection.
Unfortunately, commercial sex work and homosexuality are illegal in Uganda, creating an environment of fear, stigma, and stigmatization that prevents individuals from seeking treatment and support.
A recent study conducted by researchers from Makerere University focused on the legal environment assessment for key populations in Uganda and revealed that approximately 25 percent of new HIV infections occur within these groups and their partners.
The study estimated that there are around 310,000 individuals within these key populations in Uganda, with 130,000 being female sex workers. The number of people living with HIV within these populations can be up to five times higher than in the general population.
Therefore, it is crucial for Uganda to provide targeted support to these key populations in order to prevent HIV transmission and gain control over the epidemic.
Steven Asiimwe, an HIV prevention officer at the Uganda AIDS Commission, expressed that various interventions have been implemented to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS. However, reaching these communities remains challenging due to structural issues rather than behavioral traits. He specifically highlighted the difficulties faced in communities such as prisons, where high concentrations of HIV/AIDS exist.
Asiimwe clarified that there has been no study confirming a direct link between homosexuality and the high HIV rates in prisons. He emphasized the need for research to understand the situation scientifically and pledged to conduct further studies to investigate the matter.
“As an HIV researcher, I can’t see a person with HIV and say they have gotten it from that incidence or any other situation. I will have to first do a study for me to get a scientific understanding of what is going on in this situation. And after the media report from the daily monitor, as UAC our next step is to do this research to find out what is going on in these communities,” he explained.
The Uganda Prison Service explained that prisoners typically enter prison already infected with the virus that causes AIDS, suggesting that the high HIV rates within prisons are not solely related to homosexuality.
Asiimwe was among the speakers at a function organized by the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders’ Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at the Local Level (AMICAALL), which aimed to raise awareness among journalists about revitalizing grassroots mobilization for HIV prevention and ending stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.
Restituta Kagguma Nabwire, the acting country director of AMICAALL, expressed concern over the decline of HIV/AIDS messages within the media and emphasized the need to revive these messages in order to reawaken Ugandan society’s commitment to preventing and ending AIDS.