Prioritise health check-ups to combat HIV/AIDS, judicial officers urged
The Senior Resident Judge at Fort Portal High Court, Mr Emmy Vincent Mugabo, addresses judicial officers and stakeholders during the judicial health camp on Tuesday. Photo | Alex Ashaba
What you need to know:
- Justice Mugabo urged for prompt initiation of PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) for victims of sexual and gender-based violence within 72 hours to prevent HIV contraction.
The Senior Resident Judge at Fort Portal High Court, Justice Emmy Vincent Mugabo, has urged judicial officers and staff to undergo periodic health check-ups, particularly to determine their HIV/AIDS status, in efforts to mitigate the spread of the infection.
He said that while some individuals may feel worried about testing for the disease, those found positive receive treatment to reduce the risk of transmission.
“It's very bad for someone to die of HIV/AIDs yet we have drugs that someone can take and live longer. We have a judicial committee on HIV/AIDs, we need to continue sensitizing, we need to encourage our staff to test and know their status such that we can fight the epidemic,” he said.
He was speaking during a Judiciary Health Camp held at Fort Portal High Court on Tuesday.
Justice Mugabo urged for prompt initiation of PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) for victims of sexual and gender-based violence within 72 hours to prevent HIV contraction.
Ms Apophia Tumwine, the Commissioner of Human Resources in the Judiciary, affirmed their continued commitment to mainstream the fight against HIV/AIDS, by introducing a medical insurance scheme for staff who test positive, aiming at ending the epidemic by 2030.
Fort Portal City's Deputy Mayor, Ms Betty Mujungu, urged the Ministry of Health to reconsider the messaging targeting youth, suggesting that current approaches are not effectively reaching them.
She proposed utilizing social media platforms to disseminate information about the disease since it is where many young people can be found these days.
Mr Tom Otii, the coordinator for the Public Sector of the Uganda Aids Commission, said by the end of 2022, 1.4 million Ugandans were living with HIV/AIDS, with a national prevalence of 5.1 per cent among adults aged 15-49 years.
Fort Portal City recorded the highest prevalence at 17.8 per cent, followed by Mbarara City at 14.4 per cent, while Amudat District had the lowest prevalence at 0.4 per cent.
Mr Otii said there is a decline in annual HIV/AIDS-related deaths from 48,000 in 2010 to 17,000 in 2022, along with a reduction in new infections from 86,000 to 52,000 in the same period.
