Gulu — It is feared that the infection rate of HIV/Aids will go up when people eventually leave camps and go back to their homes. This has been attributed to lack of access to information on Aids in the returnee areas.

NGOs and health agencies in northern Uganda estimate the scourge prevalence rate at 11 per cent higher than the national figure which stands at 8.5 per cent. "There will be a lot of sexual activity when people go home because the situation has normalised.

People will get married and want to have children but if there are no interventions, there will be massive infections in the process," the behavioural change approach Communications Officer at American Refugee Committee (ARC) Mr Richard Kintu, said during a media forum recently. "We shall promote prevention of HIV infection through the behavioural change approach," he said.

Northern Uganda is in its third year of peace after two decades of conflict that forced people to abandon homes and relocate to internally displaced peoples camps but health services are scarce.

Most health centres are not functional. Mr Kintu said: "Services are centred in urban areas more than the villages." "We shall set up mobile counselling centres focusing at the grassroot where there are no services," Mr Kintu added. The project that is funded by the Presidential Emergency Fund for Aids Relief will operate in the districts of Gulu, Amuru and Pader.

Meanwhile Taso has embarked on setting up Youth Clubs to fight the spread of HIV/Aids among the youth. The clubs dubbed "Aids Challenge Youth Clubs" have been introduced in schools.

"We have realised that the youth being the most vulnerable, should be involved in the fight against Aids," Taso field officer Godfrey Okiria told Daily Monitor on Tuesday. He urged youth to resist cross generation sex which is on the increase in the region that is recovering from the war.