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Uganda's newborn HIV infections fall sharply: official

Xinhua, March 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) on Monday announced that the number of babies born with HIV in the country has reduced by 20,000 in the last four years from 28,000 in 2011 to less than 8,000 to date.

"This impressive gain in reduction of newborn infections has been made possible through a combined strategy spearheaded by the First Lady Janet Museveni," Christine Ondoa, the director general of UAC told reporters here.

Janet Museveni spearheaded the nationwide campaign for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (eMTCT)

"The success of the eMTCT campaign is a clear example of some of the immediate approaches that we need to sustain in order to reach our key 2015 prevention targets of reducing number of new infections by 30 percent," Ondoa said.

"We need to continue re-engaging leadership for the response at all levels starting with everyone taking individual responsibility for their actions. You individual have the power to protect yourself, your spouse, your child and others."

Uganda's health minister, Elioda Tumwesigye will on Tuesday launch National HIV/AIDS Documentation and Information Center (NADIC) at UAC secretariat as one of the strategy of strengthening and scaling up HIV/AIDS information, knowledge creation and management processes.

"The key function of NADIC will be to provide vital and strategic local knowledge and information resources needed to inform ongoing efforts by partners in the country's HIV/AIDS response," said Ondoa.

As part of the knowledge creation, UAC together with academic research institutions in Uganda has embarked on the process of conducting national scientific conferences on HIV.

At least four regional conferences will be held in western, northern, eastern and central Uganda in May and June to help generate local knowledge that will provide local solutions towards some of the areas driving the epidemic such as behavioral change.

Ondoa urged Ugandans to be part of ongoing efforts to avert new infections by taking individual responsibility through undergoing HIV tests and avoiding risky behavior such as sexual intercourse with people whose HIV status one does not know.

Uganda's HIV prevalence rate stands at 7.3 percent, according to the 2011 AIDS Indicator Survey. Endi