As Uganda prepares to commemorate World AIDS Day 2025, the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) has called for renewed commitment, deeper community engagement, and accelerated action to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
UAC Chairperson Ruth Senyonyi reminded stakeholders that despite Uganda’s strong track record in the HIV response, the country is facing new risk patterns, persistent stigma, and gaps in prevention and treatment uptake that threaten progress.
Senyonyi emphasised that the Uganda AIDS Commission, created by an act of Parliament, exists to provide strategic leadership, coordinate multi-sectoral partners, and guide national policy, not to deliver services directly.
“Every year, we convene stakeholders for a three-day National HIV and AIDS Symposium to review progress and monitor the implementation of the National Strategic Plan,” she said.
“This moment allows us to take stock, identify gaps, and chart the path toward ending AIDS by 2030.”
She clarified what the country’s commitment to ending AIDS entails—three core targets:
Zero new HIV infections
Uganda registered 37,000 new infections last year, a number Senyonyi described as “too high and unacceptable.”
Zero AIDS-related deaths
With consistent treatment, she said, “People living with HIV will not die young; they will die of old age.”
Zero stigma and discrimination
Stigma continues to discourage testing, disclosure, and adherence, fueling new infections and preventable deaths.
Uganda remains one of the global success stories in HIV control, with prevalence dropping from 18% in the 1980s to 4.9% today. But Senyonyi warned that changing sexual behavior is putting the country at renewed risk.
“We are seeing increased sexual experimentation, multiple partners, low condom use among high-risk groups, and declining partner testing,” she noted.
A particular concern is men, who she said often avoid testing, hide results, or leave partners unsupported.
One of Senyonyi’s most emotional appeals was on preventing HIV transmission from mothers to babies—a fully preventable pathway.
“Why should we have 4,700 children born with HIV in 2024 when every health center can prevent this?” she asked. “Pregnant women test positive and disappear. This must stop.”
She placed responsibility squarely on male partners:
“Men should take their partners for antenatal care, support them, and ensure they deliver at health facilities.”
Eliminating mother-to-child transmission, she added, must become a priority for political, cultural, religious, and community leaders.
Senyonyi also flagged Uganda’s heavy dependence on donor funding for HIV treatment and care.
“It costs government about 700,000 shillings annually to keep one person on HIV treatment,” she said, noting that over 1.3 million people rely on these services.
She urged policymakers and partners to safeguard funding and invest in resilience as donor priorities shift.
Senyonyi appealed to researchers, academia, and young innovators to drive the next wave of progress—especially toward finding a cure and strengthening prevention among youth.
She noted that even children “as young as six” are experimenting sexually, underscoring the need for early, honest conversations at home and in schools.
While public disclosure by some people living with HIV has normalized conversations, discrimination persists—especially in jobs and community spaces.
“I call upon the community of persons living with HIV to emulate the courage of those who speak openly,” she said. “Stigma must end.”