Lyantonde leaders decry drop in condom usage

Health authorities in Lyantonde District have decried the declining condom usage among residents, although the HIV/Aids prevalence rate remains high.
The district health officer, Dr Moses Nkanika said before coronavirus outbreak in 2020, at least 65 percent of the condoms supplied in the district were being used but the number has since worryingly dropped to 35 percent.

This, Dr Nkanika said has affected their  efforts in fighting HIV/Aids which has since seen an increase in HIV /Aids  prevalence in some parts of the district.
“Lyantonde District is at 10.1 percent HIV/Aids prevalence rate which is double compared to the country’s prevalence rate which stands at 5 percent,” Dr Nkanika said during the launch of other three preventive measures that the government has since fronted to end the virus spread by 2030 on December 1. 

 The other three HIV/Aids preventative measures include; self-testing, PREP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis).
Dr Nkanika  attributes the sharp increase in HIV prevalence  from 7 percent to 10.1 percent after Covid-19 pandemic  to youth behaviors which among others includes abandoning using condoms, misuse of drugs, alcoholism and poverty which have since seen a lot of young girls in Lyantonde Town become sex workers.

Mr Jonathan Tumwebaze, the Lyantonde District labour officer said there are increasing cases of underage girls working in bars and most of them end up becoming commercial sex workers.
“Domestic violence is one of the drivers that have since seen young girls drop out of schools and join the illicit activities like prostitution, drug abuse, early marriages and human trafficking & child labour victims,” he said.

He adds that away from Lyantonde town, the crisis is equally looming in other mushrooming trading centres in the district such as Kyemamba , Kashagama , Buyaga and Kaliiro town council.
Lyantonde District Chairperson, Mr Fred Muhangi said although there are many interventions from government and other partners, people who are sexually active, particularly the youth should adapt to behavioral change.

“There is a lot of interventions coming up but people should stick to abstinence, being faithful and using condoms (ABC strategy) which was our traditional methods of fighting that helped Uganda to reduce the rate of infections,” he said.
Mr Godfrey Betegyerize, the Lyantonde Resident District commissioner asked health officials to make all efforts to have all HIV/Aids preventive measures available.

“Uganda is aiming at ending HIV/Aids as a public health threat by 2030 and this can only be achieved if all people follow the health guidelines and different intervention,” he said.