The oil rich Hoima City will this year host the International HIV/AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day come Friday of May 17, 2024. This was revealed by officials from the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala.
Dr. David Byamukama, the Head of HIV Prevention at UAC said the AIDS Candlelight Memorial is a time for all of us to remember the many lives lost to AIDS.
“Globally we have lost up to 40 million People due to HIV/AIDS since the start of the epidemic”, he said.
Dr. Byamukama said the AIDS Candlelight Memorial is also an opportunity to honor those who dedicated their lives to helping people living with and affected by HIV, and continue to mobilize their communities in solidarity.
“It serves as a community mobilization campaign to raise social consciousness about HIV and AIDS”, he added.
The 2024 International AIDS Candlelight Memorial shall be commemorated under the theme: “Together we Remember, Together we Heal, Through Love and Solidarity”
Dr. Byamukama pointed out that as a country, Uganda chose to retain her National theme for last year as the theme for this year, which is: “Ending AIDS by 2030: Keeping communities at the center”.
Regarding the path to ending AIDS as a public health threat in Uganda, Dr. Byamukama said there is a clear path to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 for Uganda.
“That clear path is what was envisioned and launched by the President of the republic Uganda, His Excellency Gen Kaguta Museveni, on June 6, 2017, as the presidential fast track to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030”, he said.
He called upon all countrymen and women who are already infected with HIV/AIDS to know their HIV status through regular testing so as to undertake treatment if they find themselves infected with the HIV virus.
He cautioned Ugandans against the habit of unleashing stigma and social discrimination on HIV infected people.
“We self-sabotage when we choose to stigmatize or discriminate against People Living with HIV and their family members. Data from the UDHS of 2022 shows that 15 percent of adult women believe that children living with HIV should not attend school with HIV negative children and, 20 percent of adult men and women cannot buy vegetables from a shopkeeper they know or believe has HIV. This clearly shows we continue to discriminate against People Living with HIV”, he further pointed out.
Dr. Stephen Watiti, HIV/AIDS activist who has lived with HIV virus for over 30 years, said there is a wealth of evidence describing the extent to which stigma and discrimination undermine HIV prevention and treatment programs.
“Stigma is discouraging our people from seeking HIV prevention services, testing for HIV, and starting and staying on HIV treatment. For adolescents living with HIV, experiences with discrimination from other students or teachers negatively influenced their ability to carry medicines and manage a dosing schedule at school”, he said.
Dr. Watiti further said the fear of female partners from disclosing HIV-positive status to their male partners and stigma, have been identified as key barriers to initiating lifelong treatment among pregnant women living with HIV.
Hon. Kyofa Kabuye , the Minister in Charge of the Presidency, who was the Chief Guest at the press briefing, said AIDS was first discovered in Uganda and was known to be a death sentence.
“It was through communities coming together like this that the first AIDS Non-Governmental Organization was founded – The AIDS Support organization (TASO). This NGO was born out of these desperate times and still thrives today offering much needed services to people living with HIV, Men, Women, Adolescent girls and young women among others”, he said.
He said it is important to acknowledge the commitment of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, and the whole NRM government, for the visionary leadership in the fight against HIV.
“Uganda was among the first global success stories in the fight against HIV moreover at a time when there was no treatment available”, he added.
Minister Kyofa added that; as Government policy, all state and non-state actors have been reminded to ensure HIV is mainstream in all their interventions.
“I am happy the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has instructed all Ministries, Department and Local Government to allocate 0.1 per cent to handle HIV interventions”, he further said.
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