5 Ugandans Contract HIV Every Hour, Costing Gov’t Shs1.4 Tn Annually

Rev Gideon Byamugisha speaking during the health week

Kampala | State House this week sounded alarm over Uganda’s HIV epidemic, revealing that five Ugandans are infected with the virus every hour—equivalent to 100 new cases daily—at an annual cost of Shs1.4 trillion in treatment.

The warning came during a health week hosted at State House under its HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) mainstreaming programme, which also addressed cancer and other diseases.

The event, organized by the State House Medical Department, brought together government officials, health experts, civil society, and faith leaders to push for prevention, testing, and treatment as Uganda strives to end HIV and AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

State House staff donate blood during the exercise

Opening the health week, Mr. Benon Twinobusingye, Assistant Commissioner and Head of Human Resources at State House, who represented State House Comptroller Ms. Jane Barekye, underscored that good health is central to national productivity.

He recalled the loss of a staff member to Hepatitis B last year, stressing that such initiatives are vital in combating preventable deaths.

“Despite progress in treatment coverage, statistics suggest we are likely to fall short of our 2030 target. TB, cancer, and other diseases continue to weigh heavily on the national health budget,” he said.

According to Mr. Tom Etii of the Uganda AIDS Commission, 1.5 million Ugandans are currently living with HIV, of whom 1.3 million are on treatment.

Yet the country still recorded 37,000 new infections last year, alongside 20,000 AIDS-related deaths.

He attributed the persistence of infections to multiple sexual partnerships, transactional sex, low condom use, and reluctance by men to test or start treatment.

“We must engage men to protect young women and girls. The high rate of teenage pregnancies is tied to the same transmission routes of HIV,” he warned.

The camp also featured a moving testimony from Rev. Canon Gideon Byamugisha, Africa’s first priest to openly declare his HIV-positive status.

Married for 30 years to his wife Pamela, who is also HIV-positive, Byamugisha recounted facing stigma around the world, including being expelled from hotels. “Science is enough to end AIDS. We have the medicines, the leadership, and the means. What is preventing us is stigma and complacency,” he urged.

Dr. Elijah Ssemaganda of the State House Health Monitoring Unit emphasized the need for preventive action, particularly routine health checks and blood donation.

“Blood is a lifesaving commodity which only our bodies can produce,” he said.

State House staff being tested for HIV

On the research front, Dr. Flavia Matovu Kiweewa of the Makerere University–Johns Hopkins Research Collaboration highlighted new prevention methods such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which is widely available but underutilized due to stigma.

She also noted promising long-acting options like the dapivirine vaginal ring and stressed the importance of prioritizing pregnant women to eliminate mother-to-child transmission.

The event drew participants from the Ministry of Health, Uganda Cancer Institute, Uganda Blood Transfusion Service, and the Uganda AIDS Commission.

State House was praised for allocating 0.1% of its resources to HIV and TB mainstreaming, with calls for other ministries and agencies to follow suit.

Throughout the health week, speakers echoed a common message: Uganda cannot achieve its 2030 health targets without collective responsibility. Citizens were urged to seek regular testing, embrace treatment, donate blood, and adopt healthier lifestyles, while communities were encouraged to end stigma and support those living with HIV and other chronic illnesses