Kampala Key, Vulnerable and Priority Populations (KVP) News

This story is sourced from MPACT website. "Earlier this week, Heads of State, Health Ministers, high-level policymakers, civil society activists and health sector stakeholders came together at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to adopt the  2019 Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage . This Political Declaration is a commitment by each country to achieve Universal Health Coverage for all people by 2030, as set forth in the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Political Declaration is markedly weak on key aspects necessary to realize full Universal Health Coverage for people who use drugs, sex workers, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. After months of consultations and negotiations led by the permanent missions of Georgia and Thailand to the United Nations, the adopted text falls short of specifically naming these marginalized communities who are often left behind.  The Political Declaration a...

UNAIDS Expresses Support for HIV2020 Conference In an official letter today from UNAIDS Interim Executive Director Gunilla Carson, the multilateral international organization expressed their support for the upcoming HIV2020 conference in Mexico City. Read the letter from UNAIDS here The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, UNAIDS is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Their support echos the HIV2020 Alliance’s commitment to fostering a community-led response that necessarily includes amplifying the voices of vulnerable and marginalized key populations that are disproportionately affected by HIV & AIDS. The full text of the letter is available below: Dear Organizers of HIV2020, Communities and key populations are the backbone of the AIDS response and their meaningful engagement has always been a core and guiding principle for UNAIDS. UNAIDS therefore supports the ...

-MARPs IN UGANDA Sydney, Australia (2010) BACKGROUND: The following are the Most at risk populations in Uganda: Fishing Communities; HIV Prevalence, slightly over 20%. In-mates; 13% HIV Prevalence among females; 10% HIV Prevalence among males, 2003 (MoH). CSW; 47% HIV Prevalence 2003 (MoH); 2009(UNFPA)-KAP Survey GAY; Sodomy Laws, life imprisonment, not accepted and difficult to provide targeted services. There are situations that predispose gay people to un negotiated sex e.g., those who pay for sex-17% and those who engaged in unprotected receptive sex 37%, AIDS BEHAVIOUR, 2007 . Untreated and undiagnosed anal gonorrhoea, anal Chlamydia, anal warts, Genital warts, HSV-1 in gay people predisposes them to HIV, SYDNEY STUDY, 2009. MSM HIV Prevalence is 13.7%, Crane Survey, 2010. Uniformed services Persons staying away from their stable partners for long. Those who face; violence, abuse and discrimination. LESSONS LEARNT: In Uganda most gay also live a heteros...

PEPFAR money is very much needed for various HIV Prevention and Care activities by different organizations and institutions across the Uganda.  Uganda will be able to win the fight against HIV, because no organization will be denied  this money. Denying them money will mean "no one left behind" was  rhetorical and not meant as a practical strategy. This also goes to show Taste-bias. Or, let us face it: They are simply ignorant about the appropriate actions HIV Prevention and Care requires. Up to now there are some Implementing Partners (IPs) denying grass root HIV Prevention and Care Community Based Organizations (CBOs) funds on very flimsy excuses outside epidemic control goals. This money will increase critical activities that promote diagnosing, treating and preventing HIV in areas or among population groups with high rates of new HIV cases. This will be entrenched into the treatment cascade goals. Once the awards are disbursed to recipient...

All Key and Priority Populations ( KP/PP) can contribute to efforts to eradicate HIV in Uganda. The LGBTIQ+ has made significant progress in fighting HIV and AIDS since mid 90's. However, the magnitude of the epidemic is such that more needs to be put in place to, among others, bring down new infections, morbidity and mortality. HIV/AIDS Burden: According to the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) report of 2019 titled: "HIV and AIDS Response in Uganda, 2019," there are 1,000 new infections and 500 death due to AIDS every week. Uganda's HIV/AIDS burden is estimated at 1,400,000 people living with HIV. Forward Transmission: Working with the LGBTIQ+ in Uganda, provides opportunities for anecdotal insights in knowledge, attitude, practices and behaviour supporting resilience against HIV/AIDS or subverting it. Affordance And Normativity: There are feelings, experiences and motivations that together form what is known as affordance. This is a state of ac...

Background And Road Trip Report Through 'MARPS in Uganda', we have directly been supporting 722 LGBTIQQ in form of: 1. Providing regular counselling and guidance 2. Those who were diagnosed HIV+ve have been linked to ARV care (37 of these are now in Kenya and 217 are in Uganda) 3. Housing support to 39 ( the 37 refugee/asylee seekers were provided with housing while I was in Kenya and made sure they have food, are linked to ARV care, have been provided with two projects for income generation and airtime to keep them connected. The other two are: a beneficiary in Kasese and one in Munyonyo. These houses have two extra rooms and can be used as shelters in case of an eviction emergency 4. Supplies and Logistics: We have provided high nutrition tinned foods, multivitamin packet/nutrition supplements to 55 beneficiaries and these have been distributed fully 5. We provided money to 12 beneficiaries to enable them attend clinics in the next 4 ARV-refil...

The LGBTIQ+ in Uganda can ably and effectively contribute to eradicating HIV. They have within them people who have worked so tirelessly to mobilize communities for testing and other attendant activities driving uptake and roll-out of response.  Strategic Litigation And Human Rights Advocacy:  From 2000-2019 funding has been provided for Strategic Litigation and Human Rights Mobilization and Advocacy. Almost all activities were: paying for office rent, Litigation, Workshops, salaries for officers and activities geared at raising consciousness toward rights.  Whereas funding was available none of it was provided for caring for the LGBTIQ+ Living with HIV. Rights advocacy work is necessary and commendable but it made it very hard for the Gay medical doctors to provide input or say. Health issues remained to be the work of these selfless medical doctors who decided to use their own funds to care for over 800+ LGBTIQ+ Living With HIV. Strategic HIV/AIDS Preventio...