Armed forces must stop rejecting HIV infected applicants – Dr Watiti

Security forces have been challenged to reconsider their recruitment requirements that lockout HIV infected applicants.

The call was made by renowned consultant Dr Steven Watiti on the basis that Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prison Services do not admit HIV positive persons into the forces for fear that their bodies cannot sustain rigorous training.

Doctor Steven Watiti, a medical consultant at Mildmay Uganda and Moses Nsubuga alias Supercharger, a local artist collectively slammed the rejection as an unfair ground for rejection. According to Dr Watiti, the practice tantamount to discrimination and contributes to stigma.

They explained that several youths acquire the virus through vertical transmission and denying them an opportunity of pursuing a career in the armed forces is equivalent to condemnation. Dr Watiti adds that several persons living with HIV are healthy and can effectively perform responsibilities within the security realm.

Dr Watiti, however, observed that despite the underlying challenges of drug stalk-outs and staffs strikes among others that affect the healthcare services delivery systems, Uganda is still performing better in the campaign to eliminate the virus.

He advised patients to develop a saving culture such that they can be able to take charge of their survival especially in times of scarcity of drugs in the government health facilities.

Records at the Uganda AIDS Commission suggest that Uganda has of late registered a decrease in its national HIV prevalence rate down to about 6.7 percent from the 7.3 percent where it stagnated for years. There is also a tremendous improvement of Mother-to-Child transmission of the virus with an annual infection of fewer than 3,000 babies.