Increasing HIV deaths worry Uganda AIDS Commission bosses

The Uganda AIDS Commission bosses are dismayed by the increasing number of people, especially men, who die of HIV/AIDS in the country due to negligence.

According to Dr Ruth Senyonyi, the Board Chairperson of the Uganda AIDS Commission, who spoke during an event on August 28 in Mukono, HIV/AIDS remains a significant burden in the country, claiming many lives. Yet, they only have six years to eliminate it as a public threat in Uganda.

“More men are dying of HIV than women because of poor health behavior. They do not want to go for check-ups and treatment. 19,000 people die every year, with 8,700 being men, 8,200 women, and 3,200 children,” she said. She emphasized the urgent need for a partnership with the church to help end HIV/AIDS.

She urged religious leaders to help disseminate information among their congregations to fight HIV/AIDS by encouraging men to get tested and start treatment.

“We want to engage and empower the clergy to speak to their members about HIV/AIDS. We aim to achieve zero HIV-related deaths and infections by 2030,” she said.

Dr Senyonyi called on the clergy to partner with the commission by spreading HIV messages, preventing new infections among youths and women, and ensuring that testing and treatment are accessible immediately after diagnosis.

“Fathers’ and mothers’ unions should join us in spreading HIV messages. We also request that you allocate funding for HIV initiatives in your dioceses,” she added.

Quinto Rotwoyera from UAC said the church is a unique institution with the ability to reach 18 million people weekly with information about the disease. Some clergy lack information on HIV, which hampers their ability to preach about it, so they need to be better equipped with knowledge.

Statistics indicate that 1.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda, including 910,000 women, 510,000 men, and 72,000 children.

Bishops and church leaders have been urged to undergo HIV/AIDS testing to set an example for their congregations and encourage them to get tested as well.

“We have 38,000 new infections every year: 22,000 women, 11,000 men, and 4,700 children. On average, 105 people get infected every day, and nine people every hour. We urge the church to revive an intensive HIV/AIDS awareness campaign among Christians to curb the high infection rates,” Dr Senyonyi said.