A New Year dawns. Yes it has come. To look to the future when the past still clings on us is a daunting task. We cannot change the past, but all we can do is make the best of our lives. Conan Businge captures part of last year s memorable quotes, which form part of a past we cannot change. President Yoweri Museveni: I
EDITOR - I have read with concern the letter by Amon B. Mbekiza entitled, Africans are not guinea pigs published on December 17. Mbekiza points out several issues regarding HIV prevention research that are very misleading. Please note: # Recent reports of an unsuccessful HIV trial conducted among women was testing a mi
THE manufacture and sell of sachet waragi was banned in a crackdown on poisonous alcohol that claimed 19 lives. The Government ordered all Waragi suppliers to apply afresh for licenses. Other alcoholic drinks packed in polythene bags were also banned. The health minister, Stephen Mallinga said at least 27 others were a
LOCAL organisations leading in the fight against HIV/AIDS should enter the Red Ribbon Award nominations, Theophane Nikyema, the UNDP resident representative in Uganda has advised. Local organisations leading the fight against AIDS should consider pursuing a 2010 Red Ribbon Award, Nikyema said in a press release. R
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear doctor, Considering the Ugandan HIV/AIDS epidemic, which is mainly hetero-sexual in nature, don t you think the current anti-homosexuality bill is misplaced as far as HIV/AIDS prevention and control are concerned? Harriet Dear Harriet, GENERALLY legislation against HIV transmission be it h
Send A Cow Uganda , a project financed by Heifer Netherlands , distributed 56 cows in Butaleja district in eastern Uganda. Presiding over the occasion, the resident district commissioner, Edward Wabudi, praised the project for helping vulnerable people. Fighting poverty and malnutrition in a sustainable manner thr
Bugiri district has distributed over 8,000 condoms to the youth. The coordinator of the Youth Effort in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS and Poverty, Innocent Matyoli, said the youth usually engage in unprotected sex during the festive season, adding that the condoms would help reduce the danger of contracting HIV/AIDS and o
Over 400 youth from different churches and schools in the Rwenzori region are attending a five-day youth camp on HIV/AIDS. The youth from the districts of Kyenjojo, Bundibugyo, Kamwenge and Kabarole are camping at Kyebambe Model Primary school in Fort Portal. The camp started on Sunday under the theme: Where are you? .
The Government has explained that the anti-homosexuality Bill was introduced by a private member, David Bahati, and not the Government. Responding to criticism from countries and organisations that promote human rights and democracy, foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa said it was the MP s democratic right to introduce
THE Government is to launch a partnership with cultural leaders to help promote the fight against HIV/AIDS among Ugandans, the secretary general of the Uganda Aids Commission, has said. Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli and officials from the Ministry of Health met the Omukama of Bunyoro, Solomon Iguru, at Karuzika palace in Hoima t
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear doctor, The current recommendations by UNAIDS to remove stavudine from the first line ARVs and to raise the CD4 count from 250 to 350 as when to start ARVs has put many of us living with HIV and using triomune which contains stavudine in a dilemma. Do we now stop taking triomune or continu
LEADERS from Africa have been asked to fund research for an AIDS Vaccine. The call was made by participants of the 5th African AIDS Vaccine Programme conference that closed on Tuesday at Kampala Serena Hotel. We urgently need an AIDS vaccine. Our governments should provide the funding, urged Dr. Pontiano Kaleebu, the a
DEPLETION of fish resources in Lake Kyoga has led to the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS among the communities living on the shores, the Nakasongola resident district commissioner, David Masereka, has said. He noted that because of the redundancy of fishermen, there is increased promiscuity and alcoholism among the communitie
YOUTH who get married when they are still virgins will be rewarded, the Mityana Anglican Diocese Bishop, Dr. Samuel Stephen Kaziimba, has said. The bishop on Friday said the scheme is intended to encourage the youth to live a prudent life. Like the Virgin Mary, we want you to have good lives. I am, therefore, willing t
THE First Lady, Janet Museveni, has said there must be full participation of African scientists in research if the discovery of an AIDS vaccine is to become a reality. She noted that there is need to continue expanding HIV research activities in Uganda and called for sustained donor financial support for the research.
Raymond Baguma, Irene Nabusoba and Gladys Kalibbala
UGANDA has been chosen as the headquarters of the body that will coordinate AIDS vaccine research in Africa. The programme was formerly hosted in Geneva under the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS . The headquarters of the African AIDS Vaccine Programme (AAVP) will be hosted by the U
PARLIAMENT has passed the Bill prohibiting Female Genital Mutilation, commonly known as female circumcision. The bill now awaits the assent of the President to become law. This is a landmark bill that has been long overdue. The Bill, sponsored by a private member, Kinkiizi East MP Chris Baryomunsi (NRM), provides for c
PARLIAMENT yesterday passed a Bill prohibiting female genital mutilation (FGM). The object of the Bill is to provide for legislation necessary for criminalising the practice, prosecution of offenders and protection of victims. FGM refers to the removal of the external female genitalia for non-therapeutic reasons. It is
THE Ministry for Gender and Labour has closed down an orphanage in Wakiso district and locked up the proprietor. Florence Athieno, 41, yesterday cried as female Police officers arrested her for operating an illegal orphanage, the Love Ministries Children s Centre, in her house. The centre, located at Athieno s residenc
THE eradication of poverty is vital in the fight against HIV/Aids, Noerine Kaleeba, the founder of The AIDS?Support Organis-ation, has said. Kaleeba noted that poverty is at the core in the spread of the pandemic, especially in the war-affected, marginalised and rural areas. Poverty has pushed poor societies into all s
A WOMAN carrying a baby walks to the counter at Open Care Foundation (OCF) clinic in Mayuge town. She struggles to untie a knot on her handkerchief and out drops a sh500 coin, which she gives to the nurse. She proceeds to ask for a cough syrup, panadol and septrin tablets before giving way for the next patient. The nur
It is the World Aids Day, children, some with their mothers gather at the small office in Kaabong Town Council not sure about what will happen in the next hour. Some children have seen their parents die, others simply do not know where their parents have gone for so long, possibly for a visit. Unaccompanied, they trave
What would you do if your husband tested HIV-positive but hides the results from you? And if you accidentally come across the results, would you crucify him for hiding the truth from you or also keep silent? For 34-year-old Christine Atiang, keeping quiet would have been the best option, but it was not wise. My husband
FACT FILE Name: Wasswa Kaddu | Age: 77 | Location: Mayirikiti, Nkokonjeru, Mukono district | Contribution: Founded the Turn-To-Tea that advocates the use of beverages, instead of alcohol | Contacts: 0777394655 A mere mention of the name Turn-To-Tea in Nkokonjeru town council is enough to find out more about the HIV/AID
AT LEAST 15,496 people in Rukungiri are HIV-positive, the district director of health services, Dr. Zepher Karyabakabo, has revealed. Dr. Karyabakabo said this during the World AIDS Day celebrations at Nyakagyeme sub-county headquarters on Tuesday. He said the HIV/AIDS prevalence in the district was 5.9% compared to th
FACTFILE Name: Gertrude Nalweyiso | Age: 46 | Status: Single | Location: Kawuku | Contribution: Has taken about 30 people to TASO GERTRUDE Nalweyiso, commonly referred to by many as Ssenga in Kawuku village on Entebbe Road, believes that one does not need to fall sick in order to go for an HIV test. In 1986, Nalweyiso
MEMBERS of Parliament from the Great Lakes region want their governments to implement and enforce existing laws and policies on protection of orphans and vulnerable children of HIV/AIDS. The MPs, meeting in Kampala yesterday, noted that although many governments have enacted children rights laws and policies, many of t
CASES of gender-based sexual violence are higher in the Great Lakes region than any other part of the world, regional security officials have disclosed. The disclosure was made on Wednesday during a security meeting of officials from Uganda , Rwanda , Burundi , DRC,
THE youth state minister, Jessica Alupo, has said HIV/AIDS and the high level of poverty have increased the number of orphans and other vulnerable children in Uganda . HIV/AIDS and poverty are the two leading drivers of vulnerability and this presents a real development challenge to the Government, Alupo said. The
The increase of HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Kasese district has been blamed on the mushrooming trading centres, a senior district official has disclosed. Dr. Erikana Bwambale, the district diseases surveillance officer, said the prevalence rate, which had gone up to 14.8% from 11.5%, was more rampant in trading centres
The Inspector General of Police has called for an aggressive campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDS in his 36,000-man force. The fight against HIV has to be holistic. We need a thorough strategy, because with the advent of anti-retroviral therapy, people have tended to relax, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura said. According to
YESTERDAY, the world celebrated World AIDS Day under the theme Universal Access and Human Rights . World AIDS Day reminds us that HIV/AIDS has not gone away, and that there is still a lot to be done. Accessibility to anti-retroviral treatment remains a big challenge, especially in the developing world. According to UNI
UGANDA yesterday marked World AIDS Day with messages urging men to go for voluntary counselling and testing services. Health minister Dr. Stephen Mallinga noted that voluntary testing and counselling is an effective strategy to access preventive and care services. World AIDS Day was adopted in 1988. It is commemorated
ABOUT 600 HIV-positive people in Kaabong district have registered with local non-governmental organisation to access antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). Grace Loumo, the head of the Action for Women and Awakening in Rural Environment, a local NGO, made the remarks yesterday during the World Aids Day celebrations at Kaabong to
UGANDA has, over the years, emerged as a role model in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa and globally. This can be attributed to the Government s effort, broad-based partnerships and effective public education campaigns. HIV statistics The HIV prevalence rate has reduced from 30% in the early 1980s to the current 6.
WHILE the Government has been availing ARVs and other drugs to Ugandans, there has emerged the aspect of drugs overstaying in stores and medical workers stealing ARVs. President Yoweri Museveni says drug theft is responsible for the high maternal and child mortality rates. He has promised to deal with the culprits.
IN the 2008/09 fiscal year budget, the Government allocated sh60b for ARVs and Artemether Combination Therapy (ACT), the same amount in the 2009/10 year. The funds were shared equally. The state, too, advanced sh1b to the Uganda Aids Commission for HIV prevention in the 2009/10 fiscal year budget. This was, however
HENRY Mutabazi, a 34-year-old man was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 2000 but could not start on antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) before establishing whether he was eligible. He then went to a clinic for a CD4 cell count, only to find he was negative. Ponsiano Kaleebu, the acting director of the Uganda Virus Research I
THE AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) has launched a door-to-door HIV/AIDS and malaria campaign in Apac district. The campaign aims at strengthening the public health system and training health workers to care for HIV-positive people. The three-year programme will cost sh4bn. A survey conducted by health officials indic
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear doctor, I am a Christian and have found out that I am HIV-positive and need to start taking ARVs. I hear you are a Christian but you take ARVs. How have you managed to balance your faith in God and take ARVs at the same time? Grace Dear Grace, There is no contradiction between trusting in
DR. Fred Lyagoba, a senior scientific officer at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) in Entebbe recalls how his group struggled to make their places clean after using monkeys and other animals in their research work. The monkeys could attack the men who fed and kept them. Lyagoba says in the 1980s they were dea
A UNIVERSITY student broke up with his girlfriend after learning she was cheating on him. It is then that he realised he could have contracted HIV, seeing that she was neither faithful nor did they use condoms. The possibility of catching HIV had never crossed his mind because he thought its prevalence only took its to
THE women peer educators in Iganga district have been asked to emphasize HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and family management so as to reduce spread of the virus which is increasing among married couples. The executive director of Platform for Labour Action (PLA), Lillian Keene Mugerwa, said HIV/AIDS threatens liveliho
Mbarara chief administrative officer (CAO) Wilson Tibugyenda has advised health workers to set up income-generating projects and stop stealing government drugs. Tibugyenda was on Wednesday addressing over 30 health workers during the launch of the Couple HIV Counselling and Testing Campaign at Kamukuzi district headqua
WHEN he approached me and said he was HIV-positive, I did not know what to tell him. I was overwhelmed by sympathy but also astonished at his boldness. What reason does he have to disclose this to me? It is a personal issue and we are not related, Annette Katushabe, 23, of Saluti in Kamwenge Town Council, says of her f
IMAGINE a situation where you have to spend more than half of your earning on medication so you can live for another day. This is a reality of diabetic patients who are also on antiretroviral treatment (ARVs). Josephine Acan is diabetic, hypertensive and HIV-positive. She feels like she is caught between a rock and a h
FROM clinical observations, genital warts are on the increase in Uganda . Medical experts blame it on the increase in HIV/AIDS prevalence rates. Genital warts are growths on the genitals caused by a viral skin disease. Dr Peter Kyambadde says not everyone who has the virus which causes genital warts develops the warts.
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, My sister has been taking ARVs for about three months and we have been amazed how much she has improved in such a short time. She likes eating and has even put on weight after years of ill health. How do these drugs work, yet we have been told they do not cure HIV/AIDS? Sophie
To commemorate the World AIDS Day on December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday until the end of
A sombre mood hangs over Bethel orphanage home in Bwebajja, 11 miles on Entebbe Road. Children at the orphanage are sad to have lost one of their own. On November 4, Enock Ssebbanga died of Hodgkin s lymphoma. He has for a long time, been battling for his life getting treatment at the International Hospital Kampala (IH
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, Is it safe for a woman who is HIV-positive to get pregnant? Don t you think we should advise our sisters with the virus to avoid trying to have children considering the risks they pose to themselves, their spouses and the children they produce? Florence. Dear Florence, People l
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, My husband and I recently went for a routine HIV test. We both tested HIV-positive. Since then my husband has been accusing me of infecting him yet five years ago, I was tested when I was pregnant and was found to be HIV-negative. I have never cheated on him since then. Is it possi
THAT Uganda loses 16 mothers to pregnancy and childbirth everyday is as strange as it is true. To put facts into perspective, this is an equivalent of losing a commuter taxi full of expectant mothers everyday. People will make noise when a taxi kills the (expectant) women than when they die while delivering, says Char
THE US government has trippled its funding towards family planning and reproductive health activities in Uganda to $15m (over sh28b) this year. This implies that the funds have risen from $5m (about sh9.5b) for the activities since 2005, the U.S. Mission to Uganda announced on Thursday. The
Married women in Bugiri district are abandoning their husbands for road construction workers, who lure them into sex by offering them money, an official has said. The district gender officer, Edith Batengaya, said 35 men had approached her over the past three months saying they had lost their wives to workers of Reynol
OVER 1,000 babies produced by HIV-positive mothers in Kitgum and Gulu districts have received equipment to facilitate their care. The equipment that included a Land Cruiser vehicle, two motorcycles, computers and digital cameras, all worth sh128m, were given to Health Alert, a local NGO supported by SAVE the Children.
THE Sabiny girls from Sebei sub-region have said female genital mutilation (FGM) still thrives due to stigmatisation of uncircumcised girls. Students from Gamatui Girls Secondary School in Kapchorwa district told the parliamentary committee on gender, labour and social development on Sunday that voters threaten to deny
THE AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) has launched a sh4b three year door-to-door HIV/AIDS and malaria campaign in Apac district. The programme aims at strengthening the healthcare system to assist those living with HIV. A survey done in Apac shows the district has the highest incidence of malaria and HIV/AIDS in the re
To commemorate the World AIDS Day on December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday until the end of
Monitoring and Evaluation Agent CSF MEA Implemented by Chemonics International Inc. Call for Comments on Draft Request for Proposal for Local (Ugandan) organization to take over the full scope of work of the Technical Management Agent (TMA) and the Monitoring and Evaluation Agent (MEA) for Civil Society Fund Issued o
Private health practitioners have asked the health ministry to investigate traditional healers and pastors over what they called misleading the public by claiming that they can cure diseases, including HIV/AIDS. This was during a one-day workshop organised by the Uganda Health Marketing Group at Lake View Hotel in Ente
THE United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) have launched a joint programme to end female genital mutilation (FGM) by 2012. FGM involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia commonly practiced as a cultural passage to womanhood by some e
SOME 17 community organisations helping orphans and vulnerable children have received sh3.3b in grants from the Uganda AIDS Commission Civil Society Fund. Each of the organisations from different districts received about sh200m. The money was handed over to representatives of the organisations at the Imperial Royale Ho
This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, on December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDs, will award individuals, who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday unt
To commemorate the World AIDS Day on December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday until the end of
SLUM Women s Initiative for Development, a non-government organisation in Jinja municipality, has embarked on a project to assist women acquire land at a low cost. The project manager, Joyce Nangobi, said the initiative was aimed at helping women hit by poverty, ignorance and disease, access housing and live decently.
Namuddu pulled her goat by the rope to tie it to a tree near her home when screams stopped her in her tracks. The father to her three children, with whom she had stayed for seven years, had been gruesomely killed in an accident as he rode on a boda boda to school where he worked as a teacher. By the time news got to hi
To commemorate the World AIDS Day on December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday until the end of
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I am HIV-positive and have been on ARVs for five years. Recently, I delivered a baby but because labour found me upcountry I delivered in the village and my baby could not get post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). I am back in Kampala but it is a week since I delivered. Would my baby st
[THE state of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in Uganda is still worrying. The New Vision will, until World AIDS Day (December 1), publish articles on STIs, where to access free treatment and how to avoid the deadly diseases.] IT was a scourge of the 1890s, a disease that ravaged the body and the brain, driving
To commemorate the World AIDS Day on December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published every day until the end o
RELIGIOUS leaders have opposed the death penalty as a punishment for people convicted of aggravated homosexuality. Leaders from the Church of Uganda , Orthodox, Pentecostal, Seventh Day Adventist, and the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, unanimously supported the Bill, but called for a change in the penalties. Can d
This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday until t
This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, on December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals, who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday unt
HIV-positive expectant mothers in Mukono district have been given free birth kits. The medical supplies, donated by the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation, will help prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. The kits contain a plastic sheet, rubber gloves, gauze, sterile threads and a razorblade. Handing over
FACE HIV WITH DR. WATITI Dear Doctor, I have been in the UK, where I was getting my ARVs for the last three years. I came back to Uganda recently and have been trying to access care here. My drugs were branded ARVs called Zidovudine, Lamivudine and Nevirapine, When I visited one of the AIDS service
AN HIV-positive Ugandan man living in Australia faces a 10-year jail sentence for transmitting the virus to a female partner, the Australian Associated Press has reported. Zebtek Wepukhulu, 44, who knew his status since 1993, pleaded guilty earlier this week to the charges of causing grievous bodily harm to a woman he
WOMEN in Kyenjojo district have vowed to strengthen communication with their spouses as a means to fight HIV/AIDS in their families. They said communication gaps between married couples, had led to temptations and the spread of the disease. They revealed this during a one-day workshop organised by district Woman MP Joy
RESIDENTS of Corner Nwoya village in Alero sub-county have asked the Government for a revolving fund to help them take care of orphans. Most of the children were orphaned by HIV/AIDS and the LRA war. Michael Komakech, the LC1 chairman of Nwoya, said there are about 800 orphans in Pabit, Coorom, Nwoya and Kamguru. More
Ninety-three percent of babies born to mothers living with HIV/AIDS in eight sub-counties of Tororo district were saved from getting the disease this year. The 7% who contracted the disease did so because their mothers were inconsistent in getting health care. An evaluation report on the prevention of mother-to-child t
Support for children orphaned by HIV/Aids in Uganda is still low. Uganda has over 2.3 million children orphaned as a result of the scourge and 45% of these are living with HIV/ADIS. Peter Massesa, director, Psychosocial support Initiative a regional organization, says many children are facing what he calls triple crisi
Aggravated homosexuality will be punished by death, according to a new bill tabled in Parliament yesterday. The private member s bill was tabled by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati (NRM). A person commits aggravated homosexuality when the victim is a person with disability or below the age of 18, or when the offender is HIV
This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDs, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the nominees from which winners of awards will be selected will be pu
-- This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published every day unt
DAKS Courier has donated cement for the construction of a maternity wing at St. Francis Health Centre in Njeru town. Our donation is a call on all stakeholders to come and help. We are proud to support the effort to improve delivery of health services in an area where HIV/AIDS is threatening the future of thousands of
AFTER learning that he was HIV positive, James Muto counted himself among the dead. He had a family of eight children and other dependants to take care of but had no income to support them. Knowing I was HIV positive, was equivalent to being told I was dead and buried. I wondered how I was going to look after my family
[This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the people nominated by the public will be published everyday until
Ann-Marie, 16, knew about condoms from school. When used correctly, they can help prevent HIV transmission and unwanted pregnancy, the teacher had told them. But children your age should abstain from sex, the health educators cautioned. Only big people can use condoms while married people should stay faithful, they em
THE Vice-President, Gilbert Bukenya, has urged the Ministry of Health to set up more research centres for clinical trials on cancer. Bukenya also called upon the public to visit health centres early for cancer screening to save more lives. This was contained in a speech read during the breast cancer charity walk, organ
This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDs, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the nominees from which winners of awards will be selected will be pu
A medical study has revealed that HIV-related dementia (mental disorder) is more common in people with HIV-subtype D. Researchers from Mulago Hospital, the Infectious Disease Institute, and the US-based John Hopkins University School of Medicine conducted neurological assessments of 60 people living with HIV in Kampala
QUITE often, health systems, especially HIV/AIDS programmes grapple with drug shortages and stock-outs. Reports from the health ministry indicate that patients start on ARV treatment much later than expected. ARV supplies in paediatric programmes are being underutilised. Dr Zainab Akol, the programme director National
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I am living with HIV. AIDS organisations, receive funding to cater for HIV/AIDS programmes like treatment and sensitisation of the public, however, I do not see any. Do these organisations realise the goals and aims for which they are set-up or are they just conduits for siphoning
A NEW Bill concerning the prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS and the plight of people living with the virus is in the offing. The HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Bill provides that a person or an agency which denies a person living with HIV a job, commits an offence. Such a person is liable to three-months impris
LAST month will always be known as the September, where scientists eventually got the vaccine that protects some people against HIV infection. After more than 25 years into the AIDS pandemic, scientists finally discovered a vaccine. But instead of celebrating, they are going back to the drawing board. The vaccine, a co
The HIV prevalence in Uganda prisons stands at 11% in male and 13% in female inmates, almost double the national average of about 6.4%. The figures based on the 2008 joint rapid assessment report by the Uganda Prisons Service and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, were released by Prisons chief Dr. Johnson B
-- HIV Prevention Award Nominee It has been a long day s work for Magezi Mawanda, a counsellor at Ishaka Hospital, but he can still smile at me. He counsels about 120 people who come for HIV testing and counselling at Ishaka Hospital everyday. Many discordant couples too go to him for advice and counselling. Magezi i
This year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDs, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the nominees from which winners of awards will be selected will be pu
THE Go together Know together couple HIV counselling and testing campaign (CHCT) was launched last Saturday amidst fun filled performances by local artistes and comedians. The event that began in the morning went on till night fall. Couples had the opportunity to get tested. There was a massive turn up of willing coupl
SEXUALLY transmitted diseases (STDs) no longer respond well to traditional antibiotics like penicillins and tetracyclines, doctors have said. Speaking at a three-day training workshop for health journalists recently, Dr. Dan Kaye, from the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at Makerere University Medical School,
THE health ministry has launched a national campaign encouraging couples to test for HIV together. The campaign is dubbed Go Together Know Together Couple HIV Counselling and Testing. It follows research findings from the 2004/2005 Uganda sero-surveys that showed a high incidence of HIV among married couples. Dr. S
MAKERERE University School of public health, together with Aeras Global Tuberculosis (TB) Vaccine Foundation has launched a new laboratory for TB Vaccine studies at a cost of sh140b. Dr. Moses Joloba, the head of the medical microbiology department at the university said the laboratory will also carry out research and
JANE Namusoke tested positive for HIV in 2004 and was put on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. Namusoke is worried because she recently learnt the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) in Masindi, where she has been getting treatment, might close soon. Two months ago we were told the clinic had run out of drugs. Nowadays
A MERE mention of the word slim (AIDS) in the 1980s sent chills down many peoples spines. Eric Lutwama 30, an employee with TASO says the disease was extremely feared that he believed it would one day wipe out the entire world. It was not until Noerine Kaleeba founded The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) in 1987, that
With Uganda s high HIV prevalence, 5 - 15 men will need to be circumcised to prevent one HIV infection in the next 10 years. This was the expert review of mathematical models of the impact of male circumcision, organised by UNAIDS , WHO and the South African Centre for Epidemiological Analysis. The model was published
THE shortage of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) is straining the operations of The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) in the Bugisu, the Mbale acting centre manager, Kimera Mutebi Boogere, has said. Speaking during the TASO annual general meeting on Saturday, Boogere said the centre receives an increasing number of clients.
HUSBANDS who sexually starve their wives are the leading promoters of HIV/AIDS among marrieds, the Kamuli Church of Uganda Archdeacon, the Rev. Can. James Katalo has said. Katalo said husbands who go to bed and just sleep, claiming to be so tired from the day s work and do not fulfil the most vital marriage obligation,
TWO UN agencies said yesterday results with an experimental AIDS vaccine in Thailand gave new hope in the fight against the disease. But more work was needed to see if it could be used elsewhere and a commercial vaccine may require more time. The vaccine tested on 16,000 Thai volunteers lowered the risk of HIV infectio
THIS year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the nominees from which winners of awards will be selected will be pu
THIS year, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, December 1, The New Vision, in conjunction with the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDs, will award individuals who have played a remarkable role in the fight against HIV in their communities. Profiles of the nominees from which winners of awards will be selected will be pu
THE Nabagereka (queen) of Buganda, Sylvia Nagginda, has advised men to embrace reproductive health programmes to avoid unnecessarily large families, which are difficult to maintain. Nagginda also asked men to join the fight against defilement and desist from adulterous lifestyles to create an HIV/AIDS free generation.
CONDOMS mean safe sex and good health when used correctly because they are the only proven available preventive method in HIV/AIDS transmission and sexually transmitted diseases, but when of good quality. However, when their safety is jeopardised the line between health and disease becomes a matter of concern for milli
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I am HIV-positive but not yet on ARVs because my CD4 count is still high. I am on Septrin which I get from our company clinic. Recently, the company changed to another health service provider. At the former clinic, the doctor had told me to take a dose of two tablets once a day, bu
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, My wife and I went for an HIV test and I tested positive, while she tested negative. Our marriage is now on the rocks though in public we try to hide it because we are leaders in our church. What do we do? We are young, yet we now cannot have sex and our church does not allow divor
THE Government plans to centralise the recruitment of medical workers to streamline service delivery, the health minister Dr. Stephen Mallinga has revealed. Mallinga stated that most district commissions had tribalised the recruitment of doctors, constraining operations in the health sector. Districts want to employ pe
A Bill seeking to impose tough penalties for people involved in female genital mutilation (FMG) has been tabled in Parliament. The Private Members Bill was yesterday tabled by Kinkiizi East MP Dr. Chris Baryomunsi (NRM). If passed, a person found guilty of aggravated FMG will be liable to life imprisonment. FMG refers
THIRTY-eight percent of children in Amuria and Katakwi districts have been denied education while 29% have been denied food. A study conducted by Transcultural Psycho Social Organisation (TPO) and African Network on Protection and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN), has shown the statistics. The study fund
THE rate of HIV/AIDS infections is increasing in Tororo and the neighbouring districts, The Aids Support Organisation (TASO) area manager, Dr. Daniel Bogere, has said. He said the number of new clients seeking treatment had drastically increased from 250 to 1,000 in the last one year. He added that women constituted 65
FROM afar it appears small. As you get closer it gets bigger and more complex in appearance. It would easily be mistaken for a tycoon s villa stashed atop a 12-acre piece of land. It is strategically located with a magnificent view of the Mutungo hill. As you walk around, the environment is serene and quiet. After a lu
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, Are there any special programmes by AIDS service organisations to help people with disabilities who have HIV? I have a sister who has HIV on top of being deaf and dumb. Finding ways to help her is no easy task. The situation is aggrevated because the few clinics we have visited hav
If we want to avert more HIV/AIDS infections in Uganda , I have no doubt in my mind that the immediate step is for the President to immediately shake-up the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC). The President should subject the entire commission to an of inquiry for incompentence. Its not our methods which have failed us, it i
THE World Health Organisation has accredited the Rakai Health Sciences Programme Centre as a training area for male medical circumcision. The centre has been at the core of global HIV/AIDS research efforts for 20 years. It is considered one of the best in the eastern, central and southern African region. A total of 90
The counterfeit scam has not spared the pharmaceutical industry with a syndicate of international counterfeiters determined to invade the market. David Mugabe spoke to Apollo Muhairwe, the National Drugs Authority (NDA) boss, about the problem How wide is the problem of counterfeit drugs? Since we started testing drugs
THE International Police (Interpol) stepped up the heat against counterfeit items last week when assorted drugs worth about sh200m were impounded in nine districts. Five tonnes of medicines were impounded after a sustained intelligence monitoring and operation by Interpol and the National Drug Authority (NDA) with supp
Hoima referral hospital has no anti-retroviral (ARVs) drugs for children infected with HIV/AIDS. The hospital administrator, Ngobi Muhindo, said on Sunday that the hospital had to run to health centers for more drugs. Ngobi said the referral facility also lacked antiretroviral drugs for adults. The good news is that ma
CLERGY involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS want religious sects to encourage the use of condoms for those who cannot abstain as a measure to curb the increasing spread of the pandemic. The clergy made their stand on Thursday at the closure of a four-day conference on The global race to save lives from HIV and AIDS
PEOPLE Living with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) have pleaded with the Ministry of Health and National Medical Stores to tackle the drug shortage or face a social disaster. Accusing the ministry of negligence, the activists said they do not understand why the ministry cannot start new patients on antiretroviral therapy, yet drugs ar
UGANDA is likely to experience an increase in HIV/AIDS death rates following the shortage of antiretrol-viral drugs. Dr. Stephen Watiti, the board chairman of the National Forum for People Living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda , says most of the health facilities have reported shortage of ARVs, adding that people living with
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, How can we help our HIV positive male friends who are having sex with fellow men, considering the hostile environment against homosexuals in the country? Many are in hiding and may die miserably. Justine Dear Justine, It is important that all people who are HIV positive regardless
ROBERT Mukisa is a 25-year-old school dropout, married with two children. He had a happy marriage until issues concerning his personal hygiene stretched his wife s patience. Baffled, he sought medical assistance at Kayunga Hospital. He was advised to get circumcised. I do not know why my mother did not do it when I was
UGANDA is not on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing infant mortality and improving the health of mothers, according to World Health Organisation (WHO). Among the 46 countries in the WHO Africa region, only Eritrea , Mauritius , Seychelles
HIV/AIDS is gradually affecting the economy, according to the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) and the finance ministry. A report on a study carried out by both bodies said: There has been a fall in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the projected 6.5% without AIDS to an estimated 5.3% with AIDS. GDP is a market value
THE AIDS Information Centre recently launched a sh100b plan to ensure quality counselling and testing for all in the next five years. HIV counselling and testing should be a starting point to automatic care and treatment and not a service that ends in itself. Despite the fact that few Ugandans seek counselling and test
THE health ministry has acquired enough anti-retro viral drugs (ARVs) to sustain people living with HIV/AIDS until the end of the year, the AIDS Control Programme director has said. Dr. Zainab Akol said the ministry procured ARVs worth sh60b this month. This is in addition to the 30 tonnes the ministry received at the
ABOUT 270,000 people affected by the LRA war in Acholi will benefit from a five-year sh5b Roco Kwo (transforming lives) project. The programme funded by Norwegian Agency for Development was launched by CARE International in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Grace Kemirembe, the progr
THE Member of Parliament for Bugabula North, Gerald Menyha, has challenged HIV/AIDS service organisations and stakeholders to work out strategies to enable the population embrace voluntary counselling and testing of HIV. Officiating at the 13th annual general meeting of The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) in Jinja, Me
The health ministry has called on church leaders and sports administrators to be core actors in combating the HIV/AIDS scourge. Dr. Sam Zaramaba, the director of health services, was appealing to members of the Churches United Against HIV and AIDS (CUAHA) from Ethiopia , Rwanda ,
INCREASING complacency, especially among the youth, hinders the HIV fight. The reduction of deaths over the years, due to the availability of antiretroviral drugs, has made many people relax, saying HIV is no longer a threat. James Kigozi, the spokesperson of the Uganda AIDS Commission, says as a result, the number of
IT was not the usual Sunday for the patrons of Group Four malwa (millet beer) joint in Namate, Division B, Entebbe Municipality. They went through counselling and voluntary HIV/AIDS testing. Speaking at the awareness campaign, Arthur Namara, the principal director of HealthNet, Uganda , said: There is now a communi
THE increase of HIV/AIDS in Karamoja in the last three years is worrying, the medical superintendent of Matany Hospital in Moroto district has said. Dr. James Lemukol was speaking at a meeting with the hospital staff, politicians and the First Lady and state minister of Karamoja affairs, Janet Museveni, on Friday at th
Asking men to unzip and bare their genitalia is not Dr Ahmed Matovu s hobby, but he does it now nearly everyday. He is a team member in the new drive to contain the HIV/AIDS prevalence through medical male circumcision. Matovu has become a celebrity in Kayunga district. This is because of his sharp knife that he uses t
PERSONS with disabilities are to plan their own programmes at the Uganda AIDS Commission. Persons with disabilities have the capacity to plan, budget and implement their own programmes, said Alex Ndeezi, the MP of persons with disabilities in the central region. Ndeezi was speaking during a regional conference on disab
THE International Olympic Committee IOC has promised to invest in churches as part of their bid to use sports as a tool for fighting AIDS. This was revealed by the IOC development director Thomas Sithole, while closing a two-day workshop on sports and AIDS in Kampala. The workshop attracted participants from the East a
THE Vision Group and the parliamentary standing committee will recognise role models in the HIV/AIDS prevention. The role models will be recognised during the parliamentary HIV prevention annual awards that will be given as part of the World AIDS Day celebrations on December 1 of every year. President Yoweri Museveni i
Kampala - A study conducted in Kisumu, Kenya , found that HIV-discordant couples, (where one partner is HIV-infected and the other is not) continue to conceive despite knowledge of their HIV status. Couples who conceived were at 80% increased risk of HIV transmission between the partners. Dr. Sara Brubaker, from Ke
THE number of people getting infected with the HIV virus is increasing each year, with 130,000 Ugandans contracting it annually. This was revealed in Kampala yesterday at the launch of a campaign aimed at encouraging people to test for HIV/AIDS and avoid the pandemic. The director general of the Uganda AIDS Commission,
EDITOR - Most of the reactions in the media about male circumcision as an added intervention against HIV seem to be directed mainly on moral considerations. However, there are other benefits of circumcision not usually brought out. These include protecting female partners against cancer of the cervix. The cause of this
HEALTH minister Dr. Stephen Mallinga on Friday clashed with a delegation from the European Parliamentary Forum over the use of condoms and inadequate funding of health services. The delegation argued that the Government was putting more emphasis on promoting abstinence and being faithful while neglecting condom use in
UGANDA has received 30 tonnes of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) from the Global Fund on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. Primary health care state minister James Kakooza yesterday said the drugs were brought into the country on Friday. He said the drugs would be distributed by the National Medical Stores according to orders fro
HEALTH officials have recommended that uniformed personnel be circumcised as one of the means of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Dr. Stella Nema, a researcher on HIV/AIDS, yesterday said the Police, Prisons and army officers fall under the category that is now classified as the most at risk population just like the
THE AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) and other stakeholders have been asked to use music, drama and dance to transmit the correct messages about HIV/AIDS in order to reduce the rate of infection among adolescents and change the attitude of those living with HIV from deliberately infecting others. The resident district
FACE HIV WITH DR. WATITI Can I stop taking ARVs so that I lose weight? Dear Doctor, I have been on ARVs for three years.I started ART when my CD4 count was two cells/ml and I was very slim, weighing only 45 kg. Is it possible to stop the drugs for some time to help me reduce weight since my CD4 count is now over 700 ce
ALTHOUGH most Ugandans know that using condoms is essential in the fight against HIV/AIDS and can access them, less than 20% use condoms when they first meet new partners. According to the 2008 Baseline Survey on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights violations in Uganda, 94% of the respondents are aware that condoms are a prevent
Mulago hospital yesterday exhibited their surgery tools and disowned the one the Indian community claimed was left in a patient, Daljit Singh, who died on July 27. The head of the Ortheopedic department, Titus Beyeza, who was flanked by the team that carried out the operation, said the instrument published in the media
THE youth living with hiv/AIDS in Soroti district have appealed for antiretroviral (ARVS) drugs and food from the state minister for youth and children affairs, Lt. Jessica Alupo. They say they have not been able to access treatment and nutritious food due to the impassable roads in their villages. They made the appeal
MY son, Aaron Omara, is one year and six months old. I have breastfed him exclusively, but it has not been easy. I felt pain during the first weeks because I did not know how to position him. It was worse at night since I had to wake up every time he cried. My sister, who also had a baby, taught me how to breastfeed an
ARMY spokesperson Maj. Felix Kulayigye has lashed out at embassies that deny visas to HIV-positive soldiers. He said this was a form of discrimination by the developed world. If you have been nominated in the UPDF to go for training abroad, the embassies we have here subject you to a rigorous medical examination. If yo
The former director of economic monitoring in the Internal Security Organisation, Teddy Seezi Cheeye walked out of jail yesterday after he deposited sh60m for his bail. Cheeye, 51, was granted bail on July 24 pending the hearing of his case in the Court of Appeal but was retained in Luzira Prison after failing to raise
A week since the Court of Appeal granted him bail, Teddy Seezi Cheeye, 51 remains in Luzira Prison after failing to raise sh60m to pay for bail. He has not got the money to deposit for bail yet. Until he executes that, he is still our prisoner, the Commissioner General of Prisons, Johnson Byabashaija, said yesterday, a
PALLISA - Soroti drama group emerged winners of the The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) annual music, dance and drama festival for the eastern region. Drama groups from six districts, participated in the two-day festival that was organised by TASO in collaboration with Pallisa district local government at Kyoga Hotel.
QUALITY Chemicals Industries has been cleared to manufacture AIDS and malaria drugs, according to a report. Auditors from the International Committee of the Red Cross approved the Luzira-based factory following WHO-recommended good manufacturing practices in March. The team suggested that the factory be approved for th
PRISONERS and staff of Luzira and Gulu prisons will be counselled and tested for HIV over the next one year, courtesy of the AIDS Information Centre (AIC). According to an agreement signed on Tuesday, the staff and inmates will be provided with TB prophylaxis, a preventive treatment, to reduce the spread of the disease
KADIMAH Trading Corporation has won a $298,000 (about sh626m) education ministry s deal to print a primary school teachers guide aimed at supporting children in this era of HIV/AIDS. Kadimah beat five other firms to the lucrative contract. Sources familiar with the deal said most of these companies did not fulfil one o
Medics observe that unlike teenagers who can be counselled and many times agree to keep the pregnancy, older women are more desperate and will have an abortion at all costs. A senior gynaecologist/obstetrician who runs a reproductive health clinic in Ntinda says: Educated career women know where to get it. They step ou
THE public sector has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence in Uganda , according to a report on the impact of the scourge on the economy. The report released last week by the Uganda AIDS Commission showed that the sector had an HIV prevalence of 16.3% followed by hotels and restaurants at 6.0%. The sales sector is third wit
IT is common to find packs of condoms in the bathrooms of many corporate companies, which are hardly taken as they are considered inferior because they are free. However, in many small-scale industries like garages, welding workshops and construction sites, workers would fight to have that health intervention. Some
JAMES Mugerwa, a truck driver in Njeru Town Council, Mukono district, had never thought of testing for HIV. Like many long distance truck drivers, Mugerwa had sleept with different women, including prostitutes. But he was shocked to learn he was HIV-negative and vowed to stick to one partner. He tested at a community-b
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear doctor, I have been on ARVs for over three years now and I feel fine. However, I have noticed that my CD4 count done on three occasions for monitoring purposes every six months, fell from 560 cells/ml to 490 cells/ml and the last time I checked it was 390 cells/ ml. When I did a viral load
Justice Stephen George Engwau of the Court of Appeal yesterday did not rule on Teddy Seezi s bail application pending the hearing of his appeal. The ruling expected to be delivered this morning is not ready. However, it will be delivered on Friday at 9:30am, the assistant registrar of the Court of Appeal, Deo Nizeyiman
Uganda Clays has launched a workplace HIV/AIDS policy. Charles Rubaijaniza the Kamonkoli factory acting chief executive officer, said the HIV/AIDS policy would enhance openness among employees about the disease and enable them access treatment and counselling. The policy will apply to employees and their families. H
Prevention, but not the use of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs is sustainable in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the AIDS Support Organisation (TASO) northern region manager, Henry Muzoora, has said. It is true ARV drugs reduce the viral load and the CD4 count goes up, but we have found out that this treatment is not sustainabl
TWO directors of a local NGO are to serve five years imprisonment each for embezzling sh38m belonging to the Global Fund. Sentencing single mother Annaliza Mondon, 35, and her widowed auntie Elizabeth Ngororano, 65, the Anti-Corruption Court said the women were also guilty of uttering 22 false documents. The convicts w
Century Bottling Company, the makers of Coca-Cola product, has launched an HIV testing and counselling drive to encourage people to know their HIV status. According to the Aids Information Centre, over 80% of Ugandans do not know their HIV status. Maureen Kyomuhendo, the soft drinks maker s communications manager (stan
EVERY mother worth that title wishes the best for her children. But sometimes it turns out otherwise, like it did for Kezia Nekesa. My baby was diagnosed HIV-positive at nine months, she says. It was very devastating because when I did an HIV test during my first antenatal visit at four months, I was negative. I never
Recent research shows that there is an alarming rate at which new-born babies are being tested positive for HIV. This would not be strange, except that they are testing positive after their mothers were tested negative during an antenatal visit. The babies were, therefore, infected at a later stage during the pregnancy
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I recently tested for HIV with my wife and found I am positive while she is negative. We have been together for 10 years and having unprotected sex. Since the test, she has abandoned me and told all my relatives, friends and children about my status. She says I misbehaved and God h
Dear Doctor, How can an HIV-positive man make an HIV-negative woman pregnant without infecting her with HIV? Is there any scientific way of cleaning sperm of HIV and inserting them into the woman so that she can conceive? Peter Dear Peter, IT is scientifically possible to clean sperm from an HIV-positive man using a pr
WHILE the majority of men prefer to attend HIV counselling and testing alone, the women prefer to be accompained by a friend or relative. Dr. Stephen Watiti, a senior medical officer at Mildmay HIV Centre in Lweza on Entebbe Road, says: It s the women who normally come. We ask them to bring their partners and children
HIMACement in Kasese district has launched a hepatitis awareness campaign to reduce the risk of the spread of the disease among its employees. Hepatitis, which means inflammation of the liver, is caused by a virus. Types of hepatitis are A, B, C, D, E and G. The company s media officer, Mantha Chemutai, said they would
THE Mbarara Resident District Commissioner, Clement Kandole, has asked the Government to ban traditional healers from advertising themselves and their medicines. He criticised them for referring to themselves as doctors , saying it misled the public into thinking that they provide proper healing. Kandole urged that Gov
THE Ministry of Health has dispatched an emergency medical team to the Teso region, following reports that some hiv/AIDS patients have stopped taking anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) due to hunger. The director of the National AIDS Control Programme, Dr Zainab Akol, said the team was due to leave Kampala on Thursday. Sh
KAYUNGA on Thursday became the first district to launch mass male circumcision aimed at reducing the spread of hiv. Doctors said the exercise would expand to the rest of the country. Dr Ahmad Matovu, the Kayunga Hospital superintendent, said they had circumcised 320 men since February. We circumcise an average of 15 ma
The AIDS Information Centre (AIC) has launched a sh100b plan to ensure that quality counselling and testing for HIV/AIDS is available to all in the next five years. This is a wise public health strategy. Only 21% of Ugandan adults know their HIV status. According to AIC statistics, about one million people are infected
JANE Wambui is a 17-year old student at Buruburu High School, Nairobi. She is a virgin and is HIV-positive. She was born with the HIV virus. Wambui says abstinence does not mean anything to her, since she already has the virus. There are many young people who are sexually active and are HIV-positive. Asking them to use
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear doctor, I am a 30-year-old mother of two and I am HIV-positive. I happen to have fallen in love with an HIV-negative man who clearly understands my status. He is the father of my second child. Since the first time we had live sex when I conceived, we have been using condoms. He recently as
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear doctor, I have been on ARVs for two years and have been taking one tablet of Atripla daily at night. However, when I went for a drug re-fill recently, I was told that they had changed my treatment from Atripla to another regimen of Truvada ,
MPs should wake up to fight for the rights of widows and orphans living or affected by HIV/AIDS, the deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, has said. Kadaga was touched after watching a documentary on the role of cultural leaders in promoting the rights of widows and orphans affected by HIV/AIDS. In the document
MTN Uganda , Google and the Grameen Foundation have launched a mobile phone application that provides instant information to mobile phone users in remote communities. The application enables a mobile phone user to send a text message to 6001 for information on any health including HIV/AIDS tests. For example, you
MOST residents around the Kyoga and Kwania lakes in Amolatar district still fear to undergo voluntary HIV/AIDS testing and counselling. The LC5 chairman, Alfred Adoli Ogwok, said due to stigma, the fishermen prefer witchdoctors to medical care. Despite repeated sensitisation, they have not responded positively and this
TATTOOING carries a risk of spreading HIV if the tools used are not sterilised, experts have warned. The warning was made by the AIDS Information Centre at the launch of its strategic plan of 2009-2014. In Uganda , 44% of women and 34% of men say they have undergone traditional tattooing or cutting of the skin, the cen
Monica Ogutu, the executive director K-Met says: We still need cultural and religious leaders on board. Most view family planning with disdain because they have never felt the pressure of managing unplanned children themselves, especially Catholic fathers and nuns. She notes that 50% of maternal hospital admissions in
-- For fear of being stigmatised, people living with HIV/AIDS do not control weight gain UGANDANS living with HIV/AIDS are more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease and diabetes today than before, according to the Regional Centre for Quality of Healthcare and the Ugandan Demographic and Health Survey. Whereas people li
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, Which is the correct CD4 count for someone to start taking ARVs? My sister who is HIV-positive was started on the drugs when her CD4 count was 350, yet she had no complaints at all. Is this correct? I thought people start using ARVs when their CD4 count falls to 200 cells/ml and be
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I have been getting free ARVs for over four years and my health has greatly improved. However, recently when I went to collect my drugs, one of them Efavirenz , was out of stock. I was given only Combivir and advised to buy Efavirenz for
THE AIDS Information Centre has launched a sh100b plan to ensure quality counselling and testing for HIV/AIDS is available to all in the next five years. Our wish is that everyone in Uganda undergoes HIV testing. We want a situation where everyone knows his or her status for us to be able to fight the disease, the cha
Annette Kirabira a counseling psychologist with Rahab Uganda gives tips on what you should do and who to talk to after rape. Move away from the site of rape Although most victims tend to hide and cry, it is better to move to a public place that the rapist cannot access. This will help you avoid the risk of repeat and g
In her 2009/2010 budget speech, finance minister Syda Bbumba mentioned that improving health infrastructure and provision of drugs especially for HIV/AIDS and malaria would be given priority among other areas. The minister cited that malaria is still responsible for more illness and death than any other single disease.
In our last part of the different types of contraceptions available in Uganda , Carol Kezaabu details the other types of hormonal methods: Injections Dr Henry Kakande, an ob/gyn with Management Services for Health, says the injection is the most popular birth control method used in Uganda. Depo-Provera is the drug avai
Tullow Oil Uganda will donate over sh300m to Hoima residents affected by HIV/AIDS and cancer this year. Tullow Oil is one of the companies drilling oil and gas in the Albertine graben in western Uganda. The corporate responsibility advisor, Oliver McCredie, said the company had began funding activities aimed at fightin
When Akshay Kumar left his wife, Radhika, in Mumbai to take up a truck driver s job in Haryana, she hoped for a better life because it was a fairly well paying job. Travelling all over north India , he got involved with another woman whom he married. When he fell sick, he visited a clinic and was told he had tuberculos
CHILDREN in northern Uganda have petitioned Government to increase funding for children living with hiv/AIDS and those born by mothers under the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of AIDS programme. They said many children and mothers had died because of lack of access to hiv/AIDS services in the villages.
MULAGO Hospital has improved its HIV/AIDS services, following its inauguration of the ZAYED MU-JHU centre last month. MU-JHU Family Care Centre, was operating in a smaller premise on Mulago hill till a new building, sponsored by the Royal Family of the United Arab Emirates , was opened on June 1
TODAY, an art exhbit with themes on HIV/AIDS opens at Makerere Art Gallery. The show features sculptures by Lillian Nabulime, a lecturer in sculpture at the university. Her work contains lessons on safety, prevention and behavioral change. It also demystifies misconceptions and taboos about sex and sexuality. Nabulime
HOMOSEXUALS have held a three-day workshop on human rights at the Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe. The workshop attracted over 20 homosexuals. It was also attended by pro-gay retired Anglican Bishop Dr. Christopher Ssenyonjo. Ssenyonjo, who is a counsellor on marriage and HIV/AIDS, said many people misunderstood
Scientists have been urged to promote behaviour change among married couples as the search for the HIV/AIDS cure continues. Vice-President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya said it was a shame that HIV had increased among married couples. His message was contained in a speech delivered by the Third Deputy Prime Minister, Henry Kaj
Uganda has scooped this year s Commonwealth Education Good Practice Award, for its outstanding perfomance in education. The country was particulary recognised for the Presidential Initiative on AIDS Strategy to Youth (PIACY), a programme designed to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among school children. PIACY was
TEDDY Seezi Cheeye appears in the Court of Appeal today to argue his bail application as he waits for his appeal against conviction for embezzling the Global Fund money. The former director of economic monitoring in the Internal Security Organisation was convicted on April 8, and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment (in
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I would like to volunteer and participate in the HIV vaccine trials but I fear that after this my body will produce antibodies which means I will test HIV positive even if I am not infected with HIV. This is a disadvantage because some countries are very restrictive in granting sch
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear doctor, Why is it that in Uganda people who are HIV-negative are allowed to get married to those who are HIV-positive? This just increases the spread of the disease! I would suggest that all couples who intend to get married, have mandatory Pre-Marital HIV Testing so that only couples that
STIGMATISATION is still a setback in the fight against AIDS, leading to an increase in the school dropout rate of children living with HIV/AIDS. Students say they have been compelled to either drop out of school, leave boarding for day schools or change schools because they are being stigmatised by fellow students.
AS Africa marks the Day of the African Child on June 16, Save the Children in Uganda has organised activities in four regions of the country. The communications specialist, Esther Banyenzaki, said the main event would be held at the Kaunda Grounds in Gulu district. Addressing journalists in Kampala yesterday, Banyenzak
A 66-year-old blind man, Peter Lomon, recently exchanged vows with Maria Meri at St. Kizito Catholic Church, Naoi parish in Moroto diocese. Lomon, a resident of Katamukono village, said faithfulness among married couples was necessary in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He encouraged other Karimojong to marry and be faithfu
YOU should have come to the launch of Young Empowered and Healthy (YEAH s) new HIV/AIDS campaign, True Manhood. You could have learnt a lot about the epidemic, at the same time enjoy yourself. The campaign is about men who will do what it takes to protect themselves from HIV by drinking responsibly, resisting Something
The spread of HIV/AIDS is fuelled by irresponsible sexual behaviour, doctors of Gulu University have said. Acting deputy vice-chancellor Prof. Callistus Baliddawa said many people die of the virus and appealed for more funding to find a cure. The dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Emilo Ovuga, said sensitisation wa
THE Australian government has funded the construction of an HIV/AIDS clinic at Ibulanku Community Health Centre in Iganga district, reports George Bita. Presiding over the commissioning of the clinic on Monday, the Australian ambassador to Uganda , Lisa Felipetto, said the construction cost $3.5m (sh7b). The fundi
Beatrice Rwakimari, the Chairperson of the parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS, at Nyamiyobora market in Mbarara district. She was speaking at celebrations to mark the 26th International AIDS Candle Light Memorial recently. Rwakimari said the committee would lobby for a bigger budget for HIV/AIDS drugs. she also called
Health workers in Moyo district are ill equipped to fight AIDS, the district HIV/AIDS focal person has said. Musa Ariga said they could not determine the CD4 counts (immunity level) of their clients because they lacked a machine. We take the blood samples to Gulu for testing, which consumes money and time, he said.
SOME of the stories told about the burdens some families are bearing as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, may sound hard to believe. Despite the efforts of the Government and non governmental organisations to support people living with HIV/AIDS, the burden is still heavy. One of the greatest challenges facing people l
HIV/AIDS-related stigma occurs due to several factors. HIV infection is associated with homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution or promiscuity which are frowned upon by society. Religious or moral beliefs also lead some people to believe that getting HIV is punishment for one’s sins. Stigma can hinder action agains
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I have been on ARVs for six months, but recently, when I went for a checkup and drug refill, I was sent for blood tests and routine counselling. I understand why my CD4 count has to be checked to see how the drugs have helped me, but do I need to be counselled when I have no proble
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, My sister was started on ARVs three weeks ago. She vomits frequently and feels weak all the time, yet before she started taking the drugs she was not so weak. We are puzzled because another family member who is on ARVs is doing very well. What could be the problem? Should we stop t
THE Kampala-based Quality Chemical Industries started manufacturing Anti-Retroviral (ARVs) drugs on February 6, the company s chief commercial officer, George Baguma, has clarified. Baguma said the first consignment was flagged off by President Yoweri Museveni to the National Medical Stores. In a statement issued over
THE Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi and the health state minister, Dr. Richard Nduhuura, have defended the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Bill, saying it will reduce infections. Ssekandi said the Bill, which seeks to criminalise intentional spread of HIV, was a timely move in augmenting prevention. We are not p
HUMAN rights activists have called for the review of the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Bill. The activists said the Bill did not recognise the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS, which the Government says is intended to curb the high prevalence rate. If passed, persons found guilty of intentional transmission of
MANY times when married couples test for HIV and find themselves discordant (one HIV-positive and the other HIV-negative), the negative partner accuses the other of infidelity. That person thinks the partner wanted to spread the virus intentionally and attempt to kill them by spreading the virus. Theopista Nakinsige, a
RECENTLY, World Vision International, a local charity helping persons affected by HIV/AIDS, released a report with worrying statistics about northern Uganda . According to the findings, HIV infection rate across the northern districts now stands at 11.9% higher than the national rate of 6.4%. this increase is attribute
ONCE beaten, twice shy, they say. Donors seem to know the adage only too well, after the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria scam, in which billions of shillings were swindled. But now, with the output-based aid approach to healthcare provision or the voucher scheme in place, such scams could be a thing
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I am HIV-positive but not yet on ARVs because my CD4 count is still high. I have a seven-month-old baby whom I never breastfed but was found HIV-positive. The child has been put on Septrin and I have been advised to have him checked again when he is 18 months old to confirm whether
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, My father who is 55 years old was found to be HIV-positive and had to be started on ARVs immediately because his CD4 count was very low. He has now improved and even gained weight but now does not seem to remember many things including important dates and days. Could this have been
The Global Fund has approved $70m (about sh147b) for Uganda to manage AIDS. The director general of the Uganda AIDS Commission, Dr. David Kihumuro, on Thursday told the public accounts committee that a team from the Global Fund arrived in the country on Wednesday to announce the first and second phase release of the fu
The Eastern Africa Network of Aids Service Organisation has established a regional action plan to deal with the HIV/AIDS scourge in the region. The plan will collectively support member states in issues to deal with HIV/AIDS. Chairperson of the Uganda Network of Aids Service Organisation, Dr John Mugisa asked partner s
THE health ministry has identified counselling as a major tool to address the growing need to test for HIV. Only 20% of Ugandans know their sero status, which affects HIV prevention and management strategies. If over 95% of Ugandans have some knowledge about HIV/AIDS and over 70% want to know their status, counselling
Genital herpes drugs do not reduce the risk of HIV transmission, but they slow HIV progression, according to findings of a study released on Friday. Although acyclovir is widely used to suppress herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), the most common cause of genital herpes , it does not reduce the risk of HIV
WHEN James, 85, went to a clinic after his skin had developed black patches, the doctor referred him to Mulago Hospital to test for kaposi s sarcoma. Kaposi s sarcoma is a type of skin cancer that affects the elderly or any person with a weakened immune system. It is mainly associated with people living with HIV/AIDS.
RESEARCH on a new drug that can best treat skin cancer is being done by the Infectious Diseases Institute in partnership with Uganda Cancer Institute (IDI). The study started in 2007 and ends in 2012. It is funded by the US National Institute of Health. Dr. Miriam Laker, the coordinator for the antiretroviral for kapos
PEOPLE found with HIV/AIDS should start taking drugs for the AIDS virus earlier than currently recommended if they are to stand a good chance of survival, researchers have said. An analysis of more than 45,000 people with HIV in Europe and North America found people were 28% more likely to develop full-blown AIDS or di
KAPOSI S sarcoma is a cancer that develops from the cells that line lymph or blood vessels. Medical scientists explain that it is caused by the herpes virus, also called Human Herpes Virus 8. Apparently, people can be infected with this virus, but only develop the disease when their immune system is compromised, common
Face HIV with Dr Watiti Dear Doctor, I am HIV-positive and have been encouraged to practise positive prevention. However, I would like you to explain what this means. Pat Dear Pat, THE term Positive prevention started being used in the late 1990s and early 2000s and has mainly been understood to mean working with peopl
Face HIV with Dr Watiti Dear doctor, I am in a discordant relationship. I am HIV-positive while my husband is HIV-negative. I am not yet on ARVs because my CD4 count is still high. We use condoms always but recently a condom burst and I am so scared my husband may have got infected. I am told circumcision could have he
MANY married women in Rakai are raped by their spouses everyday, the resident district commissioner, Aida Bikorwenda, has said. She attributed the vice to men s overwhelming desire for sex. Bikorwenda was addressing participants during a Straight Talk Foundation workshop at Rakai district headquarters on Monday. How
THE Kalangala Forum for People Living with HIV/AIDS has asked MPs to test for HIV to set an example before approving the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Bill. The call was made during a workshop on the Bill at Kalangala Town Council Hall on Saturday. District HIV/AIDS focal person David Muwanga asked the Government for
WORLD Vision has launched a $1.8m (sh3.6b) programme to provide HIV/AIDS care and support to teachers, the armed forces and private security employees. According to the NGO s northern Uganda manager, James Kaahwa, the programme, code-named Supporting Public Sector Work Places to Expand Action and Response against HIV/A
THE Anti-Corruption Court has ruled that the two directors of a local NGO, Valued Health, have a case to answer in the Global Fund scam. They are accused of embezzling sh18.7m that was given to them for HIV/AIDS activities. Justice John Bosco Katusti said yesterday after the State had closed its case that it had proved
A parent was dismayed recently when her nine-year-old daughter blurted the word sex . This parent could not believe that her daughter, whom she considers a baby, was talking about those things . Let us face it; the world is no longer isolated. While many adults find it difficult to raise issues concerning sexuality to
THE Government is to build a sh200m gender-based violence recovery centre in Lacor Hospital at Gulu district. It will be a one-stop centre for victims of sexual violence, Crescent Tirinawe, a senior officer at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, disclosed at a meeting on sexual and gender-based viole
THE Ministry of Health plans to carry out another national HIV/AIDS sero-behavioural survey later this year. The survey taskforce is working out the modalities like mobilising the funds, but by October, we expect to have kicked off, said Dr. Sam Zaramba, the director general of health services. He disclosed that the su
THE HIV/AIDS epidemic contributes to factors that create malnutrition. Therefore there is need for the integration of nutrition into the essential package of care, treatment and support for people living with HIV/AIDS. Adequate nutrition cannot cure HIV infection, but is necessary to ensure optimal benefits from the us
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I used to have unprotected sex with my ex-wife till 2003 when she left. Since 2004, I have had protected sex with my two girlfriends and now wish to settle down with one. I need an authentic HIV test. However, I hear many clinics around do not produce genuine results and have no co
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I am 38-years-old, HIV positive man married to an HIV-negative wife. I love her and she loves me but we practise no sex. Even if I use a condom, she refuses saying it is not 100% safe and she is not ready to die. She has changed and now feels unsafe to share with me a room. I need
IMPROVE Uganda has never offered services worth sh16.4m to Valued Health, a local NGO contracted to implement some Global Fund projects, the court heard on Wednesday. The manager, David Nsubuga, denied that his company entered any contracts with Valued Health in April and May 2005. Nsubuga told Justice John Bosco K
The Uganda National Chamber of Commerce president, Olive Zaituni Kigongo, is to be questioned over sh385m received from the Global Fund. Olive is the wife of the vice-chairperson of the ruling National Resistance Movement party, Moses Kigongo. The CID from Kibuli, Kampala was yesterday scheduled to summon her. The
FOR a city dweller, Grace Acan is dressed in tatters but given that this kind of clothing is almost synonymous with every internally displaced person (IDP) in these two LRA-affected northern districts of Pader and Kitgum, the sight easily passes for normal. Acan stretches her hand to give sh300 to the shopkeeper throug
OVER 400 tuberculosis (TB) patients in Masaka district have abandoned treatment, the district TB and leprosy disease control coordinator, Sabiina Bibesho, has said. Bibesho said out of the 1,217 TB patients registered in the 23 sub-counties of Masaka last year, only 433 completed the treatment. She added that at least
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I was diagnosed with HIV on January 5, 2007. On that day my CD4 count was 911 cells/mm. When I went back for another count after six months, it had risen to 1039 cells/mm. By October 2007, my count was 1314 cells/mm. The viral load at this time was less than 400 copies/ml. In May 2
EDITOR - Too much of anything is always bad. People have a tendency to get used to the familiar and however bad it may be, it becomes tolerable! Recent reports indicate an increase in new HIV infections, a worrying trend considering the devastation that has already been caused to the nation. A look around towns; billbo
ELEVEN community-based organisations in Rakai district have received sh400m for HIV/AIDS programmes. Eddie Mireego, the district AIDS Information Network programme director, said the project would be carried out in Kooki, Kakuuto and Kyotera counties. Our major goal is to reduce new infections in the district by 10%.
MOTHERS should initiate breastfeeding within one hour after delivery and exclusively feed the baby on breast milk for the first six months, the Ministry of Health has advised. Babies, the ministry says, can suckle up to two years. The recommendation is part of new guidelines unveiled yesterday. The tips to mothers are
THE HIV/AIDS fight has received a boost of £40m (about sh127b) to support research into the pandemic and associated diseases. The money will facilitate activities of the Medical Research Council based at the Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe. According to a statement issued yesterday, the funds are the 5th pha
GIVEN our statistical data of the already existing HIV/AIDS strategies, we can easily predict the prevalence rate at least for the next two decades to come. So far we know that Abstinence (A) equals 100% protection. Be faithful (B) equals 100% protection. Condom use (C) equals 98% protection. Prevention of Mother To Ch
EDITOR - The United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) in Uganda , in response to the article appearing on page 2 of your April 16, 2009 edition ( UNICEF, Amnesty promote homos ), wishes to address a number of issues contained in your reportage. UNICEF does not advocate any sexual orientation. Any assertion about UNI
A LOCAL NGO has received sh2b from the American government to refurbish 27 health centres in Acholi and Lango sub-regions. Med Makumbi, an official of the Northern Uganda Malaria, HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (NUMAT), made the disclosure at the commissioning of laboratories at Bobi, Cwero and Patiko health centres III in
THE Nakawa resident district commissioner, Fred Bamwine, has warned Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) against wasting funds meant for persons living with HIV/AIDS. Poor accountability is a problem in this country. However, NGOs should ensure that the funds they receive to help the needy are accounted for, Bamwine s
ASK anyone if they have ever seen a condom and the answer will be yes . Unfortunately, that answer only refers to a male condom. Few people, including women have seen a female condom despite its introduction as an alternative HIV/AIDS prevention method, 10 years ago. The Government imported 1.5 million female condoms i
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, Recently I was hit by what we in Uganda call Kisipi . I tested for HIV but was found negative. I was told there is no cure other than giving steroids and pain killers. Can you please explain to me because I am scared. Is kisipi always a sign of HIV or it can also occur in HIV-negat
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I started taking ARVs two months ago when my CD4 count was 20 cells/ml. I have no problems with the drugs and I feel fine. I am a married woman and want to know how safe it is for one to have sex when one s CD4 count is so low like mine. Please advise. Sarah Dear Sarah, CD4 cou
UGANDA is becoming a hub for HIV/AIDS related research. Three Ugandan doctors from Makerere university Medical school are in advanced stages of finding a cure for herpes 2, a disease that increases the risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS. One of the biggest challenges to sub-Saharan Africa is HIV/AIDS. Over 70 percent of infect
A mobile cervical cancer testing drive was launched on Saturday in a campaign to contain the silent killer of women. Free screening was conducted at a makeshift clinic set up in the Lions Centre at Sheraton Kampala Hotel. The deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, launched the exercise after a march from Mulago
HIV and AIDS policy makers have been challenged to design more prevention programmes targeting girls. We must address the vulnerability of the girl child. The social environment makes it almost impossible for them to stay safe. This makes them 18 times more vulnerable to contracting the virus than their male counterpar
AFTER nearly 30 years of addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Uganda has reinforced the importance of breaking the silence around the epidemic, talking openly about HIV, and encouraging people to live positively. Presently the Government seeks to complement the existing policy framework on HIV/AIDS with an overarching leg
THIS is the longest weekend on the calendar and with it comes a lot of free time, festivities and laxity. It is that time of the year when warnings such as do not sell to persons under 18 , cigarette smoking is harmful to your health and Abstain or use a condom , count less on many people s minds. Mary Najjuma, now a c
EXCITEMENT gripped Luweero town residents when officials from Strengthening HIV Counselling Training (SCOT), a local NGO, staged puppet show. The residents referred to the show as Ddikuula. But, this was not the usual Ddikuula, the clown. These puppets were used to deliver the message of HIV/AIDS prevention, while prov
PARLIAMENT has passed a bill legalising the formation of the Uganda National Health Research Organisation (UNHRO). The group is expected to enforce ethical practices in health research and is to oversee all health research organisations and individuals in the country. According to the health state minister, Richard Ndu
GULU district is facing a shortage of TB, anti-retroviral (ARV) and malarial drugs, the director of health services has said. We last received TB drugs in January for only 400 clients, yet there are over 2,000 patients. TB which causes many deaths after HIV/AIDS, should be tackled, Dr. Paul Onek said. He was recently s
A Ugandan living in Canada has been found guilty of murdering his two sexual partners by infecting them with HIV that causes AIDS. Johnson Aziga was last week convicted on two counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of aggravated sexual assault and one of attempted aggravated sexual assault. Aziga faces a mandator
THE judge described Teddy Seezi Cheeye as a beast, a rogue and a mass murderer for embezzling sh120m meant to assist people living with HIV/AIDS before handing him a 28-year sentence on Wednesday. But when the director of economic monitoring of the Internal Security Organisation started his term in Luzira Upper Prison
Kizito, a senior nursing officer, talks to patients as they wait for their turn to see the nurses Nakawa division, home to almost 30% of Kampala s population, has only one health centre and the strain is evident on both the patients and healthworkers as Francis Kagolo reports... Naturally, anybody would avoid talking i
Anne Mugisa, Hillary Nsambu, Brian Mayanja and Edward Anyoli
TEDDY Seezi Cheeye, the director of economic monitoring in the Internal Security Organisation, has been convicted and sentenced to 28 years imprisonment for embezzling Global Fund money. He will also pay back sh110m to the Global Fund. The accused set up a company, which to his knowledge was a mere sham or simulacrum,
The director of economic affairs in the office of the President Teddy Ssezi Cheeye has been convicted sentenced to 10 years in prison for mismanaging global funds. The anti corruption court Judge Justice John Bosco Katutsi has ordered Cheeye to refund 100 millions. Prosecution accused Cheeye of embezzling 120 million s
ANTI-Retroviral drugs (ARVs) produced in Uganda should not be exported, MPs on the HIV/ AIDS committee have recommended. The MPs yesterday asked Quality Chemicals, the Luzira-based manufactures of ARVs, to first satisfy Ugandan needs. We have invested over sh6b into this company and we shall not let tax payers money b
THE Government is considering interventions to control excessive bleeding during medical circumcision, an official has said. Our mandate is to come up with new technologies to improve the way circumcision is done. People should be able to do it as they would like any other lifestyle activities like getting a hair cut o
CARE International, a non-governmental organisation has received $500,000 (sh1b) from Norway to combat the rising cases of sexual, gender-based and domestic violence. Care International team leader of the Acholi sub-region, Phillips Okin, said part of the money would be used to buy drugs for treating victims in Gulu, A
EMPLOYERS should put in place policies favourable to Persons Living with HIV and AIDS. We should support these people to contribute to the development of our country. As Government, a decision was taken that nobody should be retired or sent away from the civil service because he or she is HIV positive, said Henry Kajur
The news that a small number of Ugandans are possibly resistant to HIV is exciting but calls for extreme caution. While it raises hopes of getting a vaccine, the revelation does not have any immediate application to the lives of Ugandans. What scientists at the Uganda Virus Research Institute have established in collab
A SMALL fraction of Ugandans have been able to naturally knock off HIV from their body, a development that could lead to an HIV vaccine, scientists have said. Dr. Pontiano Kaleebu, an immunologist heading the Basic Sciences Programme of the MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (U
The First Lady and MP for Ruhaama county, Janet Museveni, has called for the promotion of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmissions (PMCT) services to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS among babies. She said PMCT was a pre-requisite in the fight against the scourge. Mrs. Museveni said one of the strengths of the programm
SEXUALLY active men who undergo medical circumcision have been advised to abstain from sex for at least 42 days. This is the medically-recommended period. It is expected that you will be healed properly. Unfortunately, most people want to resume sex early with the excuse of establishing if they are still functioning .
World Vision and Research Triangle Institute International are supporting a project aimed at scaling up and extending HIV-related services in three key government ministries. The project, codenamed SPEAR (Supporting Public Sector Workplaces to Expand Action and Responses Against HIV/AIDS) has increased access and utili
Ask the doctor with Dr. Paul Semugoma Dear Doctor, I am HIV-positive and have been on ARVs, Combivir and Tenofivir for four years. Many of my upper teeth decayed and were removed. I would like to have dentures fixed because I am losing the shape of my face. Is it okay for someone who is HIV-positive to use dentures and
Dear Doctor, I had unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman more than once. Please advise me on how to counter the virus because its more than three months since the incidence. I hear there are drugs that can help me. Richard Dear Richard, THE wisest thing to do is go for an HIV test to find out your status because i
There is more hope than ever for a break through in HIV vaccine development, according to the president of International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) Dr Seth Berkley. Berkley, who was in the country to discuss new developments in vaccine research, said current studies are very exciting and give great hope. We have de
Almost a century ago, America was locked in a battle against tuberculosis (TB), which killed thousands annually and was one of the leading causes of death in the US. Today, even though a cure for drug-sensitive TB has existed for more than 50 years, TB remains a major cause of death worldwide. It is a disease that hits
A new Infectious Disease Institute (IDI) centre has been launched at Kiswa Health Centre. The $ 25,000 (about sh50m) centre was funded by the US President s Emergency Plan for AIDS to strengthen the care and management capacity of KCC clinics. It will provide HIV prevention, care and treatment services. The institute a
DRIVING around Uganda in recent years, you could hardly help noticing the government-sponsored advertising hoardings along the highway. One had a picture of a smiling man in his 60s with the slogan, Say No to Sugar Daddies . Another showed a slightly younger man, and the slogan, Would you want this man sleeping with y
THE education ministry and the World Vision on Tuesday launched a week of activities aimed at addressing HIV/AIDS in the education sector. The activities that end on Friday are part of the Supporting Public Sector Workplaces to Expand Action and Responses against HIV/AIDS. Yusuf Nsubuga, the commissioner for secondary,
Today as we celebrate the World Tuberculosis Day, Uganda has run out of drugs and health officials have warned that the shortage could double cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. The shortage, which has persisted for months, has reached alarming levels with Uganda borrowing drugs from
THE Irish ambassador to Uganda has expressed concern over the stagnated national HIV prevalence rate, which ranges between 6 and 7%. Kevin Kelly regretted that despite the many interventions by the Government, the prevalence rate had almost doubled in urban areas. He noted that although there were changing trends in th
UGANDA is facing a shortage of essential drugs in Government health facilities, according to the latest survey by Uganda Country Working Group. The study, conducted over the past four years, show that 32-50% of essential medicines to treat common diseases like malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea, HIV/AIDS, TB, diabetes and h
There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. Both types are transmitted by sexual contact, through blood, from mother to child and they appear to cause clinically indistinguishable AIDS. However, it seems that HIV-2 is less easily transmitted, and the period between initial infection and illness is longer in the case o
I did not have to ask Noah Bazaale if he was sick. It was written all over his face as he sat outside Kalangala Health Centre. A few years ago, Bazaale was a successful fisherman. Today, he has only one thing to show for his fishing experience; HIV/AIDS. Bazaale was too sick to attend the recent hand over by the Joint
HIV/AIDS prevention and care will be included in the military training curriculum, the chief of defence forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, has said. He said since the army was accountable to the nation, any threat to the institution had to be dealt with. In the 1990s, the army was affected by HIV/AIDS. Our resolve then an
THE Government will provide loans to tenants in the next financial year to enable them buy land, the state minister for elderly and disability affairs has said. Sulaiman Madada revealed that the funds for the scheme would be channelled through savings, credit and cooperative societies and encouraged tenants to enroll i
RELIGIOUS and traditional leaders in Masaka district have been accused of sabotaging the fight against HIV/AIDS. We have been fighting running battles with these groups because they confuse people to abandon medication, said Wilson Behweera, the district HIV/AIDS focal person. Behweera was addressing MPs on the HIV/AID
A vaginal gel being tested in Uganda to protect women from HIV has yielded promising results in separate trials in South Africa and USA. The microbicide candidate PRO2000 is being tested by Masaka Medical Research Council (MRC) in a study involving approximately 15,500 people from 25 villages. Microbicides are gels
ARMIES in Africa are at high risk of getting HIV/AIDS by the nature of their job, the director of the Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) has said. Prof. Peter Mugyenyi said because army officers live a distance away from their families, it puts them at a high risk of contracting the virus. Mugyenyi added that despit
ANOTHER 50,000 people living with HIV/AIDS are now eligible for free treatment under the new guidelines which the Ministry of Health released yesterday. The ministry recommended that anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment should start when the CD4 count of adults is less than 250, instead of 200 as has been the case, Sam Zara
ETHICS and integrity minister, Dr. Nsaba Buturo, has warned officials against misusing HIV/AIDS funds. Buturo was recently speaking at the 7th annual general meeting of the Uganda Network of AIDS Services Organisations. He said the increasing immorality had caused alot of suffering of innocent people, adding that the A
THE Civil Society Fund has disbursed a sh10b grant to 82 community-based organisations across the country to fight HIV/AIDS. The director of the United States agency, USAID in Uganda , David Eckerson, recently awarded the organisations the grant certificates during a workshop at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
This week as Uganda joined the World to celebrate International Women s Day, President Museveni advised parents against marrying off under-age girls, saying they should instead take advantage of the free education to educate them. At 32%, Uganda has one of the highest rates of early marriages in Africa. This comes with
Face HIV with Dr Watiti Dear doctor, I am eight months pregnant and HIV-Positive but not yet on ARVs. In August 2008, my CD4 count was 404 cells/ml. I work in a remote area and get antenatal care from a clinic with no experience in handling HIV-positive mothers. How can I have an HIV-free child? For how long should I b
WHEN Zubeida Najjuka discovered that her husband of 20 years was HIV-positive, she was devastated. Her husband, Umar Kamoga, had known his status for five years but had not told her. Although her HIV test results were negative, Zubeida believes her husband is evil. There are many reasons people do not reveal their sero
THE number of Tuberculosis (TB) cases among people living with HIV/AIDS in Gulu district is increasing. Last year, TB cases in the district rose from 1,369 in 2007 to 1,936, medical workers said. This brings to 3,305, the number of TB patients registered in Gulu over the last two years. According to Gaudensio Nyeko, th
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I was put on ARVs (Triomune) five years ago when my CD4 count was 25 cells/ml but my CD4 count never went beyond 80 cells/ml even after two years. I was then changed to secondline drugs. I was put on Alluvia, which I take two tablets twice a day, Teno
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, My mother has been taking ARVs for over three years but she has not improved. She has been taking a drug called Abacavir and it costs us two hundred thousand shillings to purchase it every month. We are frustrated considering the cost of the medicine and its failure to help.
NUWAMANYA Tessa a resident of Lyantonde, has a child sick of malaria. She is also ill and yet for the last five days, they have failed to obtain treatment. This soon changed when a team of doctors from the University Bible Fellowship (UBF) visited Lyantonde district. UBF is an evangelistic organisation focused on socia
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I have been on ARVs for a year and I was swallowing one tablet called Atripla at night It was convenient for me, but recently when I went for a refill, I was given two tablets; Efavirenz and another one, which I am told has
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I am a circumcised man, but four months ago while having sex, the condom rolled off my penis and remained inside the girl. I have been thinking of going for an HIV test, but I fear it could be bad news. Help me and let me know the chances that I might have contracted the deadly vir
AN American company, DxNA has manufactured a device that could ease detection of diseases, particularly in hard-to-reach areas. The Polymerase Chain Reactor (PCR) detects the presence of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, West Nile fever and Avian influenza among other diseases in a blood sample, according to DxNA Vice President,
THE future of gender equity is at a pivotal point. Uganda is currently undergoing a transitional period in the way in which land is owned. Historically, land has been owned by clans whose leadership oversaw the use of land and clan elders protected women under traditional law. Currently, the Uganda and much of Africa i
THE First Lady, Mrs. Janet Museveni, has urged children and the youth to abstain from pre-marital sex. She was addressing girl guides at celebrations to mark World Thinking Day at Kitante Primary School, Kampala on Saturday. Mrs. Museveni said she was happy that the Girl Guide Movement was addressing HIV/AIDS by promot
Kampala - QUALITY Chemical Industries in Luzira has started full scale commercial production of anti-retroviral and anti-malarial drugs. The first batches of the drugs were launched on Thursday by the Vice President, Gilbert Bukenya. Originally, the company was providing ARVs and anti-malarial drugs courtesy of CIPLA,
Over, 1,000 couples in Kampala turned up for HIV testing ahead of Valentine s Day celebrations. The reason they were able to test in such large numbers in a single day is that the test was made available and free. Their turn-up is an indication that many people would like to know their status but are often limited by a
The Government should protect children from exploitation, an activist has said. Lillian Keene Mugerwa, the executive director of the Platform for Labour Action, said over 1.76 million children were exposed to child labour countrywide. She was speaking at a ceremony to award certificates to 50 children who completed a t
THE European Union has disbursed 300,000 Euros (about she750m) for a three-year programme to improve local government services for vulnerable older persons in Kasese and Bundibugyo districts. The state minister for disabilities, Sulaiman Madaada, launched the programme at Virina Garden Hotel in Kasese on Tuesday. He sa
OVER 1,000 couples in Kampala turned up for HIV testing ahead of Valentine s Day celebrations on Friday. The campaign, held at Nakasero Market, attracted market vendors and customers. The voluntary free testing services, organised by the Uganda Market Vendors Association in conjunction with Uganda CARES, the health min
THE former chief administrative officer (CAO) of Kabale, Samuel Katehangwa, has said Teddy Seezi Cheeye s NGO did not carry out any activities concerning the Global Fund in the district. However, Katehangwa told the Anti-Corruption Court that the NGO s coordinator, Geoffrey Nkurunziza, signed a memorandum of understand
The First lady, Janet Museveni, has said intimidation by some interest groups will not deter her from her campaign for abstinence and fidelity. The movement to promote abstinence before marriage and faithfulness within marriage as the primary weapon in our fight against HIV/AIDS has been a life-long passion for me. Thi
MOTIONLESS, he lay on his mother s lap. He looked severely emaciated. When he was taken to the therapeutic feeding centre, the 20-month-old, weighed only 5.2kg. Baby Enyaku, who can barely lift his head without support, became severely malnourished when drought hit Kotido district, preventing his family from growing fo
THE First Lady, Mrs. Janet Museveni has said that no amount of intimidation by some interest groups will deter her from her campaign for sexual abstinence and fidelity. Mrs. Museveni said she had been attacked locally and internationally for advocating virginity for the youth, sexual abstinence before marriage and fide
THE Uganda Christian University in Mukono district has introduced a masters degree programme in its constituent college, Bishop Barham University College in Kabale district. The college offers diplomas and degree programmes. It commenced the masters in social works and social administration in January. Prof. Joy Ky
ANOTHER former employee of the director of economic affairs in the Internal Security Organisation, Teddy Seezi Cheeye, has said he lied to the Global Fund commission of inquiry to save his boss. I lied that I received disbursements from the Project Management Unit of the Global Fund. Cheeye received all the disbursemen
BUSHENYI district has recommended mass male circumcision in an attempt to reduce the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, reports Chris Ahimbisibwe. The acting district health officer, Dr. Celestine Barigye, said the disease s prevalence rate is low in countries where male circumcision is promoted. I know that some people are aga
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I have been using septrin since I tested HIV-positive. Recently, my CD4 count was found to have dropped to 220 cells and I was advised to start taking ARVs. Do I have to continue taking septrin now that I am on ARVs? I hate drugs! Florence Dear Florence, ALL drugs must be used rati
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I tested HIV-positive in 1999 and in 2002, my sister gave me some of her ARVs. However, I stopped taking them after about three months because my eyes turned yellow. I have been okay since then but recently, when my CD4 count was checked, it was only 98 cells/ml. I was advised to s
ON January 15, The New Vision ran a story titled HIV positive Couple commits suicide . The couple in their early 20 s allegedly committed suicide after discovering that they were HIV positive. This incidence is very tragic and highlights the key challenges of addressing HIV stigma and discrimination directed towards Pe
Letter of the day EDITOR - On January 28, The New Vision 2009 published a letter entitled, Research methods determine results by Mr George Kibumba. He argues that male circumcision can only have modest effects on HIV transmission in Uganda . However, his analysis underestimates the effects of circumcision for the follo
When I called, he was not at his desk. A colleague answered. You mean Dr. K? he inquired, he is out of his office for a minute. I will make sure he calls back. Just after a minute Dr. K, as he is fondly called by his students and friends, called back. A loud and clear voice from the other end of the line asked: Is thi
THE health minister, Stephen Mallinga, has said the Government has procured anti-retro viral drugs (ARVs) worth sh60b for 350,000 HIV/AIDS patients. Mallinga disclosed this while launching the Routine Counselling and Testing Services at Masaka Hospital on Saturday. He said the Government wanted to increase HIV/AIDS cli
A former employee of Teddy Seezi Cheeye told court that he was coerced into making false accountability of the Global Fund money by his boss. Geoffrey Nkurunziza, 32, was a research assistant and coordinator of Cheeye s Uganda Centre for Accountability (UCA), a non-governmental organisation. Cheeye, the director of
A recent article entitled Is Uganda losing grip on the changing face of HIV? (The New Vision, January 9, 2009) lists multiple concurrent sexual partnerships and being in a marital relationship as some of the key risk factors for HIV infection in Uganda today. This article, which draws heavily from a recent Modes of Tra
CHEROTIN, 30, (not real name) sat pensively in her hut, chin firmly held in her palm. She was in deep thought, worried about the news she had received from the health workers. She had just learnt she was HIV positive. Uncertain of how she contracted the disease, she said: I have heard about this disease, but I do not t
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I stopped taking ARVs five years ago. I have been okay till late last year when I developed TB. I have now been on TB drugs for two months and feel okay. However my doctor has advised me to resume taking ARVs but I hate them! He says I might have to go on second line drugs, which I
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I got HIV five years ago and registered with one of the AIDS service organisations. My CD4 count was 1100 cells/ml. I was advised to be on septrin, which I have been taking daily. My CD4 count is checked regularly at six months intervals and it is always above 1000 cells/ml. Recent
THE First Lady, Mrs. Janet Museveni, has vowed to continue advocating for sexual abstinence and faithfulness in the fight against HIV/AIDS. She noted that the message of sexual abstinence and faithfulness had made her unpopular in certain quarters. But to be true to myself, as a mother and as a believer in Jesus Christ
THE recently article about the rate of infant mortality in Uganda deeply saddened me. It reminded me of a two-week-old baby girl that I received at the nutrition unit weighing 1.8kg. It was so thin that its chances of survival were zero. I stared regrettably at this first-time mother (Jane), who had lost all hope for h
THE world has cheered US President Barrack Obama for moving fast to reinstate funds to family planning programmes worldwide. On the second day of his presidency, Obama struck down the ban that former president George W. Bush had imposed on the first day of his first term - a policy popularly known as the gag rule that
COMMERCIAL sex workers in the city are re-using female condoms to protect themselves from contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. This revelation was made Thursday by the programme assistant for the Global Coalition of Women Against AIDS in Uganda . She was at a female condom stakeholders meeting
THE Government has been urged to devise new strategies of reducing the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS. The call was made by Dr. Noerine Kaleeba, a founder member and patron of The Aids Support Organisation (TASO) in a speech read by Sarah Kanakwa, the Jinja centre manager, during the commemoration of the death of Christop
THE $1.8b (about sh3.6 trillion) investment at the Kampala Business and Namanve Industrial Park near Kampala is expected to create 35,000 jobs, a top official estimated last week. Arthur Tukahiirwa, the director for industrial parks at the Uganda Investment Authority, disclosed that up to 212 applications were received
Fourty three percent of all new HIV infections in Uganda annually, are occurring in marriage, all types of marriage. Marriage is a union between two consenting adults, ideally. One of the expectations in marriage is to have sexual intercourse with your spouse as often as circumstances allow. Through unprotected sex
ON JANUARY 23 2009, the National Resistance Movement marked its 23rd anniversary since taking over power in 1986. The main celebrations were held at Kololo Airstrip. Below is the speech delivered by President Yoweri Museveni at the function. Fellow Ugandans, This occasion marks the twenty-third year since the National
AT least 237 girls were defiled in Bugiri district last year, the resident district commissioner (RDC), Margaret Mwanamoiza, has said. Speaking at a meeting for the youth on reproductive health, Mwanamoiza said 50% of the girls had had sex with men aged between 20 and 25, 18% had sex with men between 25 and 29 years an
WHEN six-year-old Frederick Wanyama developed an itchy rash and blisters on his body, his class teacher told him not to go back to school until he had healed. His parents were concerned that the school made their son stay at home because of a simple rash. But this was not just a rash: Wanyama had chickenpox, a highly c
A clinical trial on preventing the spread of HIV among discordant couples (where one person is HIV-positive and the other is negative) is going on. The Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEp) strategy involves administering a pill to an HIV-negative partner in a relationship to prevent them from contracting the virus. The Infe
UGANDA became a global reference for success in the HIV/AIDS fight when it reversed the prevalence rate from 18% between 1989 and 1992 to 6.5% by 2002. However, since then, the prevalence has stagnated between 6.0-6.5% and is causing concern. Are we losing the battle? The battle cannot be won unless we handle both trea
Over 8,000 people worldwide die of HIV/AIDS daily. UNAIDS estimates that there are now 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS, including 2.5million children. The epidemic is increasing. During 2007, some 2.5million people were living with the virus. A total of 95% of these people live in developing nations. It is a
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, My wife tested HIV-positive about 10 years ago. I tested HIV-negative at the same time though we were having unproteced sex. We have since had four children who all look healthy. Recently, my wife became quite sick and when an HIV test was repeated, she was still positive. I tested
Face HIV with Dr. Watiti Dear Doctor, I am HIV-positive, but not yet on ARVs. I am exclusively breastfeeding my baby who is now six months as advised by my doctor. She looks healthy though I have not yet tested her for HIV. Can t I breastfeed the baby for longer since I hear there is no HIV in the milk? She has not yet
THE defence ministry will next month recruit 3,300 Ugandans to join the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF). Of these 3,000 will be non-commissioned officers while 300 will be officer cadets. The army has stringent guidelines for the prospective recruits: They must be proven citizens of Uganda between 18 and 25 years
Kampala - Last week, a young couple is reported to have committed suicide after testing HIV-positive at Kabale Hospital. Gasper Obingu-Onzi and Lydia Nyirebukyo took poison when they learnt of their sero status. The two were planning to wed this month. The death of the young couple is tragic and comes as a surprise giv
Kampala - Sexual intercourse is the main route of HIV transmission throughout the World. The precise risk of HIV transmission from a single act of sexual intercourse with an infected person is not known. Having carried out studies in Rakai district and a similar study in Kisumu, Kenya and Orange Farm,
Kampala - PREFA, an NGO working to protect and prevent families against HIV, has embarked on food security and nutrition programmes for people living with AIDS in Masindi, Bulisa and Kayunga districts. According to Dr. David Serukka, the executive director of PREFA, some people living with HIV/AIDS do not have food. T
Kampala - I read Hillary Bainemigisha s article on mass male circumcision entitled Circumcision for all in 2009 , published on December 20, 2008, with a lot of interest. Bainemigisha quotes Dr Alex Opio, assistant commissioner for National Disease Control in the Ministry of Health, as saying the Government plans to int
Kampala - A couple in their 20 s allegedly committed suicide after discovering that they were HIV positive. The Kabale district Police commander, Gasper Obingu-Onzi, said Prosper Owaruhanga, 22 and his 20-year-old fiancee, Lydia Nyirebukyo, committed suicide after they tested positive for HIV at the nearby Kabale Hospi
Kampala - A CITY-BASED journalist held over defilement was yesterday subjected to a medical examination to ascertain his mental and sero status. Doctors at Nsambya Hospital in Kampala examined Faizal Tusiime, an employee of Record Television, at 10:00am, the Kawempe Police chief, Simon Wafana, said. He, however, did no
Kampala - JOHN 35, is married with four children. He has spent much of his life as a businessman in Kichwammango in Rakai district. Because of his social position in this village, he has been nick-named Uncle Money , going by the way he dishes out money to women. Village mates believe he has a wife in every neighbourin
New evidence suggests that most of the new HIV infections are taking place among married people aged 30-39. Further evidence shows that the spread of HIV in this category can be significantly reduced if couples took an HIV test and planned for their health better. When people find out that they are HIV-free, they tend
THE Ministry of Health has allayed fears of any shortages or stock outs of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) in 2009. We now have enough ARVs in stock. In fact we are trying to find ways of ensuring that they do not expire but get to those who need them. That is why we have even put on hold some partners who have expressed
WITH evidence of increasing new HIV infections, Uganda may be failing to stem the epidemic. The epidemic has evolved significantly but the prevention messages and target groups of the 1990s haven t changed at the same pace. Ms Milly Nattimba, Dr. Fred Sengooba, Dr Fred Wabwire-Mangen, Prof. David Serwadda explain why U
Kampala - DOCTORS have raised a fresh alarm over the rate at which Ugandans are becoming infected with HIV, especially married people. The Director General of Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), Dr. David Kihumuro-Apuuli, said Uganda was facing a fresh crisis that required overhauling her HIV prevention programmes. Kihumuro-
Kampala - NOT far away from Kampala, where our affluent politicians sit and plan for the country, lies an island where residents are yet to acknowledge the importance of the Government. Kimmi Island, located in Koome sub-county, Mukono district, is in a sorry state without any social services from the Government or non
Kampala - IN the recent past, there has been a lot of debate in the media regarding male circumcision as one of the HIV prevention measures. I would like to contribute to the debate by saying that as a country, we have delayed; we should have embraced it wholesomely when researchers disseminated their findings and dedu
Kampala - She was a happy active young school girl when Kony s rebels abducted her. It is an encounter that completely changed her life but not the resolve to live. SHE sat quietly and looked at us intently. Sarah Lanyero, the haggard young woman, seemed to say something even without uttering a single word. Her blank w
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