Ntungamo District is preparing a renewed HIV counselling and testing drive targeting high-risk hotspots and school-going adolescents, as the district maintains a 6% HIV prevalence and an estimated 21,000 people living with the virus.
Senior Health Educator and head of the District HIV/Aids Response, Twesigye Nesterio, said the expanded campaign will prioritise identifying people living with HIV, placing them on treatment, and strengthening adherence to curb further transmission.
"Our district continues to report that our prevalence stands at 6%, and the HIV burden in Ntungamo is about 21,000 people living with HIV/Aids. As a nation we are struggling with close to 1.5 million people living with HIV," Twesigye said.
He noted that recent district mapping shows higher concentrations of infections in town councils such as Rubaare, Kitwe, and Rwashamaire, which will be the first targets once the new activities begin.
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"As a district, we have mapped the pandemic knowing that most people living with HIV are in the town councils where most hotspots are. Our health facilities--HC III and HC IV--continue to provide services on a regular basis," he said.
Twesigye stressed that the next phase will focus heavily on counselling and testing in hotspots to improve identification and viral suppression.
"As a district, through our HIV/Aids response, we are preparing to embark on HIV counselling and testing in our hotspots to ensure that all the 21,000 people living with HIV are tested, put on treatment, and supported to adhere so that they can no longer spread the virus," he said.
Village Health Teams will continue expanding home visits and community education, with more training planned to strengthen their work.
"The VHTs try to visit homes, sensitise people, and support families of those who are sick to ensure they live a better life. Most people are on care," he said, adding: "We want to train our VHTs so that they have enough information."
He called on leaders, schools, civil society organisations and communicators to join the effort.
"We call on all stakeholders to join the fight. We want to sensitise all stakeholders who can ably communicate about HIV/Aids," he said.
A major component of the district's plan next year will be school-based HIV awareness targeting adolescents.
"Our focus is going to be on school-going children. Starting next year, we want to go school by school to sensitise children so that as adolescents grow up, they understand the burden of HIV and are informed," Twesigye said.
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He added that all forthcoming activities aim to increase awareness, support adherence to treatment, and reduce new infections.
"Our focus remains ensuring that people are aware of what makes them sick and what they can do to avoid these sicknesses," he said.
