UGANDA: Condom Shortage Hits Uganda's AIDS Campaign

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

UGANDA: Condom Shortage Hits Uganda's AIDS Campaign

Financial Times (London) (10.04.05) - Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Andrew England

Uganda's highly successful "ABC" AIDS program has long been praised for reducing the country's HIV/AIDS rate from 30 percent to about 6 percent. But President Yoweri Museveni and his government have recently found themselves at the center of a highly charged debate over the influence of the United States and religion on its prevention policy of abstaining, being faithful and using condoms.

According to activists and a senior UN official, Uganda has suffered from a condom shortage for the last 11 months. The US group Center for Health and Gender Equity said the country needs 120 million-150 million condoms annually, but it claims fewer than 30 million are available. Activists accuse the government of deliberately hindering their distribution.

George Michael Mukula, minister of state for health, maintains, "There's no crisis." Mukula said 55 million condoms have already been distributed for free this year and another 55 million are ready for release. He insists that equal weight is being given to the ABC strategy.

US officials dispute that its global AIDS program, which earmarks a third of prevention funds for programs promoting abstinence, is exacerbating Uganda's condom shortage. Deputy US Global AIDS Coordinator Dr. Mark Dybul acknowledged there has been a shift in policy with an increasing emphasis on abstinence and being faithful, but only because "the approach of condoms-only in a generalized epidemic will fail. You need a far more comprehensive program." The United States has purchased 21.2 million condoms for Uganda during the past 11 months, Dybul added.

Activists also criticize first lady Janet Museveni, who is a born-again Christian and a staunch supporter of abstinence- only programs, for unduly influencing government policy. "The situation is being fueled by moralist groups and our political leaders," said ActionAid Uganda's Beatrice Were. "Those of us promoting condoms are looked at as the bad ones, promoting what is not morally correct."
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