Uganda: Youth Urged To Utilize HIV/AIDS Prevention Skills
By Staff Writer
KAMPALA--Uganda Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, has called on youth to take advantage of Government Programmes to enable them utilize the skills they have obtained from the AIDS Support Organization Community, HIV Prevention Care and Support Programme.
James Kaboyo, assistant commissioner of children affairs from the Ministry said most of the people living with HIV/AIDS are young people but many have failed to sustain themselves because of limited funds to start up their own businesses yet Government Initiatives could help resolve their dilemma.
He revealed this during the closure of the financial support to the TASO community based HIV Prevention Care and Support Programme that had been running in 11 districts across the country.
The Executive Director of the Aids Support Organization, Christine Nabiryo, said the initiative has helped put them in a good position to support and empower over 200,000 people with skills and she adds that the closure of the project will see over 100 staff lose their jobs.
In May it was estimated 30,000 HIV/AIDS patients were at risk following the closure of The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) outreach centres countrywide.
The outreach centres were offering medicines in addition to counseling, psychosocial support and food.
TASO executive director, Robert Ochai, said that the process of phasing out outreach centres started in 2011. This was after one of their funders, US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (USAID) sarted by former US president George Bush, contracted another organization, Strengthening TB and AIDS Response, to strengthen health systems in district hospitals.
The executive director of the National Forum of People Living with HIV/AIDS Networks in Uganda, Stella Kentutsi, said phasing out TASO outreach centres was a big blow to their membership.
“This has put patients at risk of not accessing their treatment in time and adherence will be compromised,” she added.
In February 2014, TASO received a financial boost of sh125m from Aidshilfe Für Afrika, an organization based in Germany.
The money was to enhance TASO’s effort in fighting HIV/AIDS and promoting awareness about the danger of the disease whose cure is yet to be found.
Aidshilfe Für Afrika is spearheaded by Dr. Wolfgang Lenzen, who mobilized the funds through a bicycle rally. He rode and covered a distance of 1550km in 12 days last year, and a total of 1,967 people tested for HIV during the fundraising.
Dr. Wolfgang, 64, a German national and Professor of Philosophy from the University of Osnabruck, embarked on a campaign bicycle tour around the world to raise funds for people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS under the care of TASO and “Feria Libre – El Arenal”, a school project for underprivileged children in Cuenca, Ecuador.
The representative of Germany ambassador, Lilo Csiappell, commended TASO’s 25 years of existence and support in the East African region’s fight against HIV/AIDS control and improving the quality of life among people living with HIV.
“You have done an exceptionally enormous job in improving the quality of life for people living with HIV,” Csiappel said.
He said he chose TASO because of its unprecedented work in fighting HIV/AIDS. The proceeds from his fundraising bicycle also supported a charity project in South America.
African is the worst hit by the epidemic with current rates of HIV/AIDS prevalence at its highest 69%, in sub Saharan Africa, forcing governments to re-strategize on their approach towards stabilizing levels of the scourge.