Cultural Leaders Advocate for HIV Hotspot Identification and Increased Testing Access
Cultural leaders have urged the Ugandan government to map high-risk HIV areas to reduce infections, particularly among youth. Speaking at the launch of the National HIV and AIDS Action Plan, Richard Josel Obbo emphasized the need for targeted responses in districts with high prevalence rates and called for greater access to self-testing kits.
Cultural leaders have called upon the government to identify high-risk areas for HIV transmission in order to reduce infections across the country.
Richard Josel Obbo, Prime Minister of the Tieng Adhola Cultural Institution, emphasized that this initiative would enhance the HIV response and safeguard those most vulnerable, particularly as the country faces an increase in infections among the youth, despite a decline in the general population.
According to statistics from the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), Uganda currently has 1.47 million people living with HIV, with at least 38,000 new infections reported annually. The majority of these new cases are among young people. By district, Fort Portal has the highest HIV prevalence, estimated at 14.5 percent, compared to the national average of 5.1 percent.
Obbo highlighted specific areas of concern, stating, “In my region, numerous factories have been problematic in the past, but other hot spots have emerged in districts with unregulated drinking. For instance, there is a place called Kisangani, notorious for high infection rates fueled by excessive alcohol consumption.”
Obbo made these remarks during the launch of the National HIV and AIDS Action Plan for Cultural and Traditional Leaders in Uganda, an event presided over by the Minister of Kampala, Hajat Minsa Kabanda.
The action plan, covering the period from 2024/2025 to 2029/2030, is designed to serve as a framework for cultural institutions’ involvement in the national HIV response. It aims to address harmful local practices that contribute to the spread of the virus.
Speaking on behalf of other cultural leaders, Obbo also urged the government to address gender-based violence, which he described as a growing threat. “As cultural leaders, we are directly affected by this, and we must engage our communities. We need to continue sensitizing our people,” he said, stressing the importance of increasing HIV testing, particularly through the wider availability of self-testing kits.
