Alcohol, sex-for-jobs contribute to new HIV infections – officials
Dr Patrick Twesigye from the Aids Control Programme at the Ministry of Health (centre) and staff of AHF Uganda Cares during the commissioning of the ART Clinic at Kitgum General Hospital in Kitgum District on July 30, 2024. PHOTO | EMMY DANIEL OJARA
What you need to know:
- Dr Twesigye says many young people have been sexually exploited when looking for jobs.
The Ministry of Health has attributed the new HIV infections in the country to alcohol abuse and the practice of exchanging sex for jobs, driven by economic hardships and a scarcity of employment opportunities.
Dr Patrick Twesigye from the Aids Control Programme at the Ministry of Health said: “Uganda is one of the top countries in alcohol consumption, and we know once someone is high on alcohol, they may not even remember to take their drugs.”
He added: “And also alcohol gives people false confidence and they take on riskier behaviour.’’
He made the remarks during the commissioning of a new ART clinic at Kitgum General Hospital on Tuesday. The facility was constructed and equipped by the Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Uganda Cares.
Dr Twesigye, who was representing Health minister Jane Ruth Aceng at the function, said many young people have also been sexually exploited when looking for jobs.
He said this is made worse by the hard economic situation and job scarcity when they graduate.
“When young people are vulnerable, especially when the economic situation is not well and jobs are scarce, it puts them at risk. They adopt certain risky behaviours,” he said.
He added: “So that is why we are calling upon the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to also come and work with us in trying to implement the HIV/Aids workplace policy which should protect young people as they seek employment to ensure that they are not exploited at the time of joining the labour and the labour market after getting out of school.”
He urged the public to adopt positive behaviour to prevent further spread.
“We are appealing to people to adopt positive behaviour to reach the last mile of HIV prevention. We know that the low-hanging fruits of HIV/Aids care and prevention have all been picked. The last miles are harder,” Dr Twesigye said.
He cited some of the challenges they are facing in the fight against HIV/Aids.
“The people who have not tested are harder to find, the people who have not been put on treatment yet they know their HIV status are harder to get on treatment and the people who are not virologically suppressed now are harder to find in the community and harder to put on care and treatment yet the funding mechanism for HIV is reducing,” he said.
Mr Walter Okema, The Aids Support Organisation Gulu area manager, said the facility recorded a four percent increase in new HIV infections, with the majority linked to adolescents, commercial sex workers, and men who have sex with men, among the other key populations.
At Kitgum General Hospital in Kitgum District, Ms Josephine Alonyo, the nursing officer-in-charge of the facility’s ART Clinic, said they have 58 lost-to-trace clients out of the 2,693 receiving treatment and care.
The lost-to-trace clients are those who miss their appointments for a month or more. Such clients are deemed infectious.
Mr Henry Magala, the executive director of AHF Uganda Cares, said they have also facilitated the construction of an ART Clinic at Pabbo Health Centre III in Amuru District.
“This is a great relief to the clients to get services because now they will be served in a place of comfort, confidentiality and that gives them the dignity that they need as people living with HIV,” he said.
