A new campaign dubbed “Wear the Red Ribbon” has been rolled out by the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) to promote testing, end stigma, and raise awareness about the pandemic.
On Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024, while addressing the media at the Uganda Media Centre, Dr. Ruth Ssenyonyi, the UAC Chairperson, said the campaign aims to raise awareness about HIV prevention and treatment, particularly among adolescent girls and young women.
She emphasized the importance of solidarity in the fight against HIV, describing it as an essential step towards achieving Uganda’s goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
“Wear a red ribbon daily in solidarity with those who have been affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. Let the red ribbon be a constant reminder to each of us that HIV still exists and we need to join efforts to ensure that we end it by 2023,” she said.
The campaign is particularly focused on empowering young people, as gender inequality continues to exacerbate the risks faced by girls and women.
Jackie Makokha, Country Director of the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), highlighted this issue.
“Gender inequality continues to drive the HIV epidemic, particularly among young women. The ‘Wear the Red Ribbon’ campaign is crucial in addressing these disparities and empowering our youth,” she said.
The campaign aligns with the upcoming National HIV and AIDS Symposium, scheduled for November 13, 2024, at the Office of the President.
This significant event aims to further address strategies for tackling the HIV epidemic and reinforce Uganda’s commitment to ending AIDS by 2030. The symposium will gather key stakeholders and experts to discuss pressing issues and collaborative approaches in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Vincent Bagambe, the Acting Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission, emphasized the importance of the symposium, stating, “The National HIV and AIDS Symposium 2024 will focus on accelerating interventions to end AIDS by 2030.
The Commission also applauded President Yoweri Museveni for spearheading the fight against transmission of HIV/AIDS to ensure healthy living for Ugandans.
Bagambe says Museveni has been innovative in developing mechanisms for fighting the epidemic, including the establishment of the Fast Track Initiative that has guided stakeholders to fight HIV/AIDS.
He added that new HIV infections have reduced from 68000 to 38000 and AIDS-related deaths reduced from 30,000 to 20,000 due to the robust presidential initiatives.
“This presidential directive coordinated by UAC has guided stakeholders to implement cost-effective HIV prevention and care interventions, which have had a positive impact against the HIV epidemic,” Bagambe said.
President Museveni launched the Fast Track Initiative in June 2017, aiming at ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
“Currently about 1.49 million people are living with HIV in Uganda, of whom 92 percent know their positive HIV status, and over 90 percent of these are on the lifesaving ARVs,” Bagambe said.
Bagambe added that the PMTCT programs have also been effective in reducing the annual number of babies who acquire HIV from their mothers from 8,800 in 2017 to 4,700 this year.
He noted that the HIV prevalence is higher among adolescent girls and young women, almost four times higher than in their male counterparts.
“Of the 38,000 new HIV infections mentioned above, 22000 occurred among women, especially adolescents and young women aged 15-24 years. The country is unlikely to meet the 2025 target of 18000 new HIV infections annually,” he said.
