Presidential First Track Initiative on Ending HIV & AIDS in Uganda

Over the years, Uganda's efforts in combating HIV and AIDS have registered considerable progress. We succeeded in bringing down the HIV prevalence rate from a peak of 18 percent in the 90s to 6-7 percent at the turn of the century. In the last 3-4 years there have been significant improvements in the reduction of new HIV infections, peri-natal HIV transmission and AIDS related death


These achievements have been a result of scaled up HIV prevention; treatment based on combination HIV prevention including structual, behavioral and biomedical interventions. Core intervantions included behavior change communication through Abstinence, Faithfulness, and Condom use (ABC), Safe Male Circumcision, HIV counseling and testing; Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission (EMTCT), and Care and treatment.


Despite these achievements, challenges remain including high levels of new HIV infections among Adolescent Girls and Young Women, low involvement of men in HIV programs including significantly low uptake of HIV services. As a result, HIV remains a major bottleneck and continues to negatively impact the realization of Uganda's Vision 2040 of becoming a transformed socienty from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country.


I am therefore launching this Fast-Track Initiative to place Uganda on the path to HIV epidemic Control and the global goal of ending AIDS by 2030. Implementation will require a concerted multi-sectoral response involving all Ugandans.


I call upon all Ugandans, political, cultural, religious and civic leaders to embrace this initiative, I also call upon all sectors-public, private, civil society, the media and development partners to ensure that we end AIDS as a public health threat in Uganda. Watch full video