MUSEVENI CALLS FOR COMPLETE FREE EDUCATION.

Uganda has been severely affected by AIDS, with a high prevalence rate and a significant burden on the healthcare system. According to UNAIDS, in 2019, there were approximately 1.4 million people living with HIV in Uganda, which is about 5% of the total population. The disease has had a disproportionate impact on women and girls, who account for 58% of all adults living with HIV in the country.

The HIV epidemic In Uganda can be traced back to the 1980s, when the country experienced a rapid increase in cases due to a combination of factors such as poverty, limited access to education and healthcare, and a lack of awareness about the disease. The epidemic was further exacerbated by the civil war in the north of the country, which displaced people and disrupted healthcare services.

Every 1st December, Uganda joins the whole to  commemorates World AIDS Day, a day when the world stands in solidarity with those who are living with HIV/AIDS. This year, Rakai district takes the lead under the theme “Ending AIDS by 2030.”

While presiding over as a chief guest today in Kibaale – Rakai district, President Museveni has emphasized government and private individuals to provide free education to all school going children in the bid to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS.

In his address, President Museveni revealed that the spread is rampant among the youth of 18 – 25 years in humble backgrounds who are depressed forced out of school and end up going for sexual intercourse ignorantly in the need for money for a living.

President Museveni says that in order to reduce it’s spread, these youth have to be kept in school for sometime where they will have education about the cause and prevention of the virus.

He further urged everyone to take precautions in the prevention against HIV, adding that, children who are not yet of age should abstain from sex while married adults should remain faithful to their sexual partners.

This comes when the country has made significant progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS by bringing down HIV prevalence from 18% in the 80s to 5.2%, adding that, new infections have reduced to 52,000 annually from 94,000 while AIDS-related deaths have reduced to 17,000 annually.

According to Dr. Nelson Musoba, the Director General at Uganda AIDS Commission in HIV Testing Services, there was a 14.3 increase in the number of individuals tested among the general population from 5,998,431 in FY 2020/21 to 6,860,533 in FY 2022/23, and a total of 98% of the estimated 1,433,337 People Living with HIV (PLHIV) as of December 2022, were enrolled on ART as of June 2023 which is 1,403,603.

He noted that currently, there is no ministry, department, or agency that does not mainstream HIV and AIDS in its activities. He added that, the President has continued to consistently talk about raising awareness, spreading HIV prevention messages, and fighting the

virus.