The Monitor (Kampala)

Uganda: 'Don't Blame Congolese Women for HIV Rise'

By Denis Ongeng, 24 November 2009

Lira — Congolese women in Karamoja region should not be blamed and victimised for the increase in HIV prevalence in the sub region, the army has said.

The 3rd Division Spokesman, Capt. Henry Obbo, said claims that Congolese women, who accompanied UPDF soldiers when they returned from DR Congo in 2001, were fuelling the infection was untrue and unfair. "These allegations are not true. Most of those women are housewives," Capt. Obbo told Daily Monitor over the weekend.

A health officer Denis Kasang said recently that before the Congolese women came in early 2008, the HIV-Aids prevalence in Karamoja was 3.8 per cent. But now it has risen to 5.2 per cent.

Mr Kasang attributed the increasing HIV infection in the region to the Congolese women who he said are reckless with their lives and do not seek HIV related services.

Tagged: AIDS, Central Africa, Congo-Kinshasa, East Africa, Health, Uganda, Women

Copyright © 2009 The Monitor. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 130 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.

Comments 1 to 1 of 1 Post a comment

  • kallykatshunga
    Nov 24 2009, 16:54
    Report Abuse

    Mr Kasang I think you've a short brain memory! Before Uganda and Rwanda violated DRC territories, the number of HIV infections in Uganda and Rwanda was higher than in DRC.