A total of 1000 people are getting newly infected with HIV and 500 people dying of AIDS related illnesses every week in Uganda, a recent review indicated.
The development was revealed by Hon. Esther Mbayo the minister for presidency, during the launch of the Presidential media campaign in Kampala this morning.
According to the minister, over the last three decades, Uganda has battled the AIDS pandemic with great success reducing HIV prevalence from a national average of 18% in the 1990s to 6% by 2016, which she attributes to dedicated leadership and unwavering guidance from HE the President of Uganda from the very early days of the epidemic.
President Museveni, in June 2017 launched the Presidential Fast Track Initiative to end AIDS as a Public Health threat by 2030 to reinvigorate national efforts especially HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness efforts.
Hon. Mbayo says that over the past two years, Uganda AIDS Commission has been coordinating this Initiative and a recent review shows that the country is on course to achieve the UNAIDS targets of 90-90-90.
Mr. Museveni has now provided a set of public awareness HIV and AIDS messages that are meant to contribute to ongoing efforts in ensuring that the country is able to meet our Global Targets of ending AIDS as a Public Health Threat by 2030.
“The messages cover a range of HV/AIDS themes and are going to be broadcast on a number of media platforms including television and radio stations throughout the country” she noted.
Some of the themes that the President addresses include; “Young people and HIV, HIV testing, Getting Men to embrace testing and safer health care life styles, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission, Importance of the Test and Treat and sustainability of the HIV/AIDS response including Institutional effectiveness.”
The President in his message urged all stakeholders, including media houses to embrace and support the presidential information campaign on HIV/AIDS communication. The campaign will go on consistently for the next one year.
