President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni marked World AIDS Day by identifying prostitution as the main cause of HIV/AIDS transmission in Uganda.
“AIDS is not infectious which was our original worry in the 1980s, and it is spread through a few well-known ways that can be avoided,” Museveni said Thursday during the World AIDS Day commemoration in Buyende District. “If new infections can be halted, AIDS will be history.”
Museveni attributed the spread of AIDS to three main factors: prostitution, blood transfusions before proper screening, and mother-to-child transmission. He noted that only 30% of children born to HIV-positive mothers contract the virus without intervention.
The President cautioned against complacency, stressing that while antiretroviral therapy (ART) is available, it’s not a substitute for prevention. He advised Ugandans to adopt a healthy lifestyle and avoid risky behaviors.
“There are certain things that you cannot do when you are infected,” Museveni said. “Like in the army, we discovered that when somebody over-exerts himself with the virus, it can cause a problem.”
Museveni also emphasized the importance of testing for HIV/AIDS, saying it enables one to properly plan for one’s life and to get treatment where necessary.
Museveni has been promoting his wealth creation initiative, which aims to transform the lives of Ugandans through commercial agriculture and proper land utilization.
According to Dr. Nelson Musoba, Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission, new HIV infections have decreased by 45% from 68,000 in 2017 to 38,000 by December 2023. However, 15,000 of these new infections were among young people aged 15-24, and 4,700 were children under 14.
