Gulu District, in collaboration with the Uganda AIDS Commission, has initiated efforts to extend the fight against HIV to villages. This initiative includes providing technical support and building the capacity of Parish Development Committees and Parish Chiefs in HIV/AIDS response.
The focus is on planning, coordination, advocacy, and reporting in line with the Parish Development Model (PDM) agenda. A meeting was held on 20th March 2024 at the council hall to discuss these strategies. “This effort aims to mainstream HIV into the PDM agenda,” remarked DRDC Cosmas James Okidi during the closing ceremony.
In June 2017, His Excellency, the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, launched a fast-track initiative to end HIV/AIDS in Uganda by 2030. This initiative is the first of its kind in Africa and the world, and it deserves great appreciation from Ugandans,” stated DRDC Cosmas.
To ensure financial sustainability for HIV response, the President has initiated various income-generating interventions such as PDM, Emyooga, the GROW project, UWEP, youth livelihood programs, disability grants, and OWC. These interventions aim to improve the welfare of citizens and empower them financially to combat the HIV pandemic.
“I also want to extend my appreciation to the Uganda AIDS Commission under the President’s Office for their continuous support in fighting HIV/AIDS among communities. Therefore, I direct the district Planner and CAO to allocate 0.1% of funds for HIV fights as guided by the President, and this allocation must be integrated into the district budget,” added DRDC Cosmas.
Furthermore, there is a need for quarterly meetings of the District AIDS Coordination Committee to share statistics and information about the district’s HIV prevalence rate and identify gaps in combating the virus. “HIV/AIDS is real, and it kills.
Therefore, participants must ensure that information about preventive measures reaches the local people at the grassroots level to create awareness among communities. This effort must be continuous,” directed Cosmas James.
“We must encourage mothers to deliver at government health facilities with qualified health personnel to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child. Emphasis must be placed on testing, treatment, and achieving the 95-95-95 targets.
