HIV Virus in Uganda Today
AIDS is a leading cause of death in Uganda, killing more than 200 people a day, devastating the 25-40 year-old segment of the population, and leaving behind more than 2.4 million orphans since the epidemic’s onset. 60% of all people living with HIV/AIDS in the country are women. In Uganda today, 63% of all orphans are living without both natural parents.
Uganda was one of the first nations on the African continent to implement policies and programs to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic, serving as a model for reversing this worldwide health crisis. Partnerships between government, non-governmental, and community-based organizations and the private sector have been vital to mitigating the impact of Uganda’s crisis.
In the last decade, Uganda has reduced HIV infection rates from 30% of the population in 1993 to 7% in 2007. However, without access to anti-retroviral drugs, this decline is due in part to the near certain mortality of people living with AIDS as much as it reflects the aggressive and effective campaign to curtail new infections. Uganda’s crisis is far from over. Continued vigilance to ensure a declining rate of infection is crucial even as Uganda struggles to provide care and comfort for the sick and secure the basic rights to food, shelter, medicine and education for its children. HIV/AIDS will continue to impact Uganda for generations to come.
Our Campaign Against HIV/AIDS
With no cure or vaccine in sight for the last 20 years, Prevention as a social vaccine is a very important area of focus in preventing the further spread of HIV/AIDS. The vast majority of Ugandan people do not have HIV/AIDS and we can still do much to ensure that they stay safe. Though Uganda’s HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has dropped from 30% to 6% this does not mean that we can relax our efforts in interventions to scale down the prevalence rate.
There are many different things JESUS IS LORD MINISTRIES does in our efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS:
- Educating young people to understand how HIV/AIDS is spread and what we can do to protect ourselves. UNAIDS 2004 Epidemic report indicate young people ages 15-24 years old account for nearly half of the new HIV infections Worldwide. They are the largest youth generation in history and need a protective environment, and access to health and support services if they are to play their role in combating the epidemic
- We encourage young people to change their sexual behaviors by “ABSTAINING” from premarital sex and encourage young married people to be faithful to their partners as the only possible way to avoid HIV infections. Jesus is Lord Ministries is currently distributing to students customized scholastic materials such as. books & pens with a message “ABSTAIN FROM PREMARITAL SEX.”
- Working to make everyone aware of the plight of those living with HIV/AIDS and their families, and workinh hard to promote openness and compassion to break down the stigma and silence surrounding HIV/AIDS and further support AIDS Orphans
- Encourage voluntary testing for all people to know their status. For those with negative tests, we encourage them to begin living responsible lives to avoid the HIV infection, and encourage those who test positive to begin ARV medication and live a positive life.
EDUCATION IS KEY
Research finds that sex education and counseling do not encourage promiscuity among young people. Failure to educate them, in fact, may be a death sentence.
- Recent surveys in 17 countries on three continents found that more than half the adolescents surveyed could not name a single method of protecting themselves against HIV/AIDS.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, half the teenage girls surveyed did not realize that a healthy-looking person might be living with HIV/AIDS.
- Many young people do not see HIV/ AIDS as a personal threat. Almost two thirds of sexually active girls 15 to 19 in Haiti told researchers they ran no risk of infection.
- Surveys show that even a few years of added schooling translate into more frequent condom use.
Education in decision-making and negotiation skills, especially from peers, helps teens to protect themselves from unwanted sexual relationships, exploitation and violence, and to ensure use of condoms when they are sexually active.
You can help in educating Young people about HIV/AIDS and how to avoid it, and help to support AIDS Orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS with your financial donation.