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EOC urges policy on sex workers amid rising HIV/Aids concerns
EOC Principal Education and Training Officer Petua Isabirye addresses a gathering in Fort Portal City on July 11, 2024. PHOTO/ALEX ASHABA
What you need to know:
- In 2024, Uganda AIDS Commission said Fort Portal’s 17.8 percent HIV/AIDS prevalence is significantly above the national average of 5.1 percent.
Officials from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) have asked government to consider formulating a policy on sex workers that are on the rise in most urban centers to guide local governments on how to proceed with the enforcement.
Visiting EOC Principal Education and Training Officer Petua Isabirye, together with officials from the commission, visited Fort Portal and met with stakeholders to lay out strategies to tame new infections of HIV/AIDs marked with a 17.8 percent prevalence in the city.
"Due to economic hardships, some women end up on the streets and contract HIV while engaging in sexual activity, which increases transmission," she told the meeting.
Attendees suggested that city leaders develop policies to mitigate the spread of HIV, noting that Fort Portal City must develop strategies to manage the viral disease.
"We have agreed that each actor needs to play their part. To reduce new infections, we need to work as a team. We have identified all the hotspot areas and know we need to target them," Isabirye said on July 11.
She added that it is time for the government to formulate a policy on sex workers to guide local governments on how to proceed. "Without such a policy, enforcement is challenging," she observed.
In 2024, Uganda AIDS Commission said Fort Portal’s 17.8 percent HIV/AIDS prevalence is significantly above the national average of 5.1 percent.
Fort Portal City HIV/AIDs focal person Evan Amara reported that the city has registered 529 new infections from October 2023 to March 2024, with 322 of those females.
Fort Portal City Council developed a 5-year HIV/AIDs strategic plan from 2020/21 to 2024/25, which is being implemented, and it’s focusing on increasing productivity and quality of life for both affected and infected persons by reducing the burden of HIV/AIDs in the city.
Regarding key populations, authorities say they are continuing with creating awareness about both Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) services because some people are unaware of these services in health facilities.
