Deeply worried by the rising HIV prevalence among youths, the minister of health, Jane Ruth Aceng, has said only new strategies can check the upward spiral of the disease.

Aceng on Tuesday, during a visit to Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation (Baylor-Uganda) in Mulago hospital, described the spike in HIV prevalence among youths aged 15 to 24 as worrying.

Compared to other groups, she said youths were contracting the virus more. She urged development partners to come up with better strategies to fight the disease. 

“Five years ago, our emphasis was on reducing HIV among couples and that levelled off. However, the prevalence in the youths, instead of levelling off, is rising and that means there’s a big problem. [Maybe] the message we are passing onto the youth is not reaching or they have become complacent or the interventions that we are running to address HIV are not having an impact,” Aceng said on Tuesday.

A young HIV activist calling for an HIV-free generation

Aceng’s comments come on the back of last week’s call by the UNAids country director, Amakobe Sande, for the government to intervene and curb the rising HIV numbers among youths. (See: High HIV/Aids among youths worries UNAids, The Observer, Monday January 23, 2017).

GOVT AT WORK

The health minister revealed that government is taking all necessary measures to help end the HIV prevalence rates among youths.

She said that currently, the health ministry has embarked on a population impact assessment whose findings will help experts know other HIV indicators vital in the fight.  

“Right now we are winding up with data collection. Hopefully by May-June we shall be able to share the results which will focus on HIV prevalence in various regions. This information will help us in setting our programming and interventions,” she stressed.

The assessment will also focus on the different population groups and researchers will gather more information about hepatitis B in co-relation with HIV. She noted that although emphasis will be on the youths, other groups won’t be neglected. Aceng further commended Baylor Uganda for its efforts in ending the HIV scourge.

Prof Adeodata Kekitiinwa, the Baylor-Uganda executive director, revealed that although the facility was steadily fighting the disease, it faced challenges. She urged government to fund the institute since its main activities like laboratory research were crippled due to lack of resources.

“We have embarked on testing for cervical cancer and other chemistry procedures but our progress is highly restrained by expensive reagents that are beyond our financial means,” Kekitiinwa told the minister.

Currently, about 13,000 children are receiving care and treatment under the Baylor-Uganda Paediatric HIV/Aids programme. Over 29,000 adults undergo treatment in the 150 ministry of health facilities found in 36 districts.

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