Lyantonde district health authorities are celebrating a decline in
HIV/AIDS prevalence in the three years.
Dr Moses Nkanika, the Lyantonde District Health Officer, says that
the prevalence rate reduced from 11.6% in 2018 to 9.5% to date. Nkanika
attributed the reduction to various HIV/AIDS programs and services which were
successfully implemented and are still ongoing.
He explains that they have been working with the Most At-Risk
Population Initiative (MARPI) since 2018 to ensure that they extend all necessary
services to commercial sex workers, truck drivers and others who are more at
risk of HIV infection.
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He explains that behavioural change is among the key factors that
have led to the decline in HIV prevalence since people have adhered to frequent
condom use due to the consistent distribution by the district.
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At the same time, the district is embracing great improvement in the
Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission-PMTCT. Nkanika explains that
all babies born to HIV Positive mothers from the last quarter were safe unlike
the previous quarter when they used to get at least one HIV positive
baby.
According to Nkanika, the Rakai Health Sciences program is implementing
a project that caters for lactating mothers on Anti-retroviral treatment to
ensure their babies are safe.
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According to Sr. Grace Nabisubi, the Focal Person PMTCT, pregnant
women in Lyantonde have adhered to testing for HIV in time and those who are
found positive immediately start treatment to save their babies.
John Mukasa, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the Most at
Risk populations Initiative –MARPI, say
that the decline is due to improved behaviours and scaling up of HIV/AIDS
programs and services in different communities in the district. He adds
that more focus was put on the groups which are more at risk of getting and
transmitting the virus and encouraging women to seek antenatal care in addition
to the regular awareness campaigns.
He however says that the decline should not excite the community
and engage in risky behaviour.
According to Uganda HIV/AIDS Country Progress Report July
2016-June 2017, at least 2,693 people had tested positive in Lyantonde and 72%
are on Anti-retroviral treatment.
Davis Buyondo
Freelancer
