Health activists urge funding to ease condom distribution in HIV fight

Health activists under AHF Uganda Cares are pushing for more funds to ease condom distribution as one of the key major tools of preventing HIV/Aids and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in the country.

According to AHF Uganda Cares country director Dr Henry Magala, condoms are still the best option to people keep safe during intimacy.

He observed that funding for condom distribution by international partners such as Global Fund, the U.S President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is insufficient.

 “The funding for condoms has serious gaps because where we are as a country, out of the budget of $13m (about Shs50.5b), only about $5.8m (about 22.5b) is available which means that there is a gap of about Shs27.2b which translates to about 56 per cent of the budget needed to raise enough condoms for the population,” he said during the commemoration of International Condom Day in Lyantonde District on Tuesday.

“So, we call upon the government to come up so that that gap can be bridged,” he added.

Lyantonde District Health Officer Dr Moses Nkanika raised concern over the reducing number of people using condoms in the area which risks surging the Aids prevalence.

“We are stuck with high number of people living with HIV/Aids (10.6 per cent) which is partly blamed on activities of commercial sexual workers in the district, and mobile populations. We need to conduct more sensitization to bring this number down by promoting condom use in the district,” he remarked.

He also raised concern over Kaliro Sub-county that  is stuck due to lack of a functional Health Centre III  yet it’s a government policy for each sub county to have at least one such facility.

Ministry of health permanent secretary Dr Diana Atwiine, who was represented by communicable diseases commissioner Dr Patrick Tusiime said: “The country is still stuck with the challenge of young people that bear the burden of HIV/Aids.”

 “The girls are more affected than boys especially those in age group of 15-19 years. Girls are five times affected than boys, this student age group is most vulnerable to new infections than others, this shows that all these miss the opportunity of condom use, yet HIV/Aids can be reduced through condom use,” she added.

Observed annually on February 13, International Condom Day gives people around the World a chance to receive free condoms and essential information about proper condom use and other sexual health issues.