| dc.description.abstract | HIV/AIDS is still a major public health problem that has led to death of 33 million people worldwide (WHO, 2020). As of 2020, there were 38 million people living with HIV/AIDS, of these 68% are in sub-Saharan Africa. The UNAIDS global target is to end HIV/AIDS by 2030, but in 2020, there were 1.7 million new HIV infections across the globe (UNAIDS, 2020a). However, about 7.1 million people didn’t know they were living with HIV (UNAIDS, 2020a). Out of the new HIV infections, young people with an age range of 10 to 24 years accounted for 460,000 [260,000-680,000] which is 27% of all new global infections (UNICEF, 2020). In Uganda, an approximated 1.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS currently and in 2018, 21,000 people in Uganda died because of AIDS related illnesses (Avert, 2020). There were 3.3% of young people in Uganda aged 20-24 years living with HIV in 2017(UPHIA, 2017). In the recent years, young people have become very prone to HIV infection (Avert, 2021). In a study done in Eastern and southern Africa including Uganda, it was found that condom use at last sex with a non-marital, non-cohabiting partner among adolescent girls and young women was less than 50% across all wealth quintiles (UNAIDS, 2020c).
The Uganda HIV strategy of 2017 focuses on prioritizing interventions targeting young people of which students in higher institutions of learning form a significant proportion, as a way of reducing on the number of new infections among them and it outlines goals achievable by 2025 which include 75% reduction in new infections, 90% people knowing their HIV/AIDS status through increased testing, 90% diagnosed with HIV receiving ART, and 90% of those on ART having fully suppressed viral load. 75% reduction in new infections, 90% of people knowing their HIV/AIDS status through increased testing ,90% of those diagnosed with HIV receiving ART, and 90% of those on ART having fully suppressed viral load, and the strategies to achieve the goals include targeting key populations such as young people, increasing condom use, increase Prep coverage and use, increasing HTS services across the country, increasing male circumcision, access to ART, and TB treatment, increasing the number of young people in school among others. (HIV rapid Assessment for Uganda 2017)
The combined HIV prevention strategy by the Uganda Ministry of Health outlines HTS (HIV Testing Services) as the entry point to the population that is appropriate for them to access other HIV services packages depending on the test results in other words it is the test and treat policy. It further describes those efforts of prevention should be redirected to keeping negative people negative and offering age-based HIV prevention services among which is offering HIV sexuality education to young people. The combination includes HIV testing, behavioral change such as adoption of safer sexual behaviors and reduction of risky behavior, mitigating socio- cultural norms that predispose to HIV transmission such as unsafe circumcision, family planning and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission. Testing determines the services provided as for negative patients, the goal of to keep them negative by causing behavioral change, reducing multiple sexual partners, Safe Male circumcision, correct and consistent condom use. For positive patients, testing will help them live longer through linkage to care and treatment, behavior change, condom use, treating and prevention of opportunistic infections and family planning. HIV testing and counselling was also tied as an indicator for coverage and utilization of HIV related services. (MOH 2020/21-2024/25)
In regards to the coverage of HIV testing services for young people between ages 20-24, an age bracket where most students fall, the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) reported that 97% of the men knew where to access testing services but only 74% of the men had ever tested for HIV and received their results while 98.9% of women but 90.7% had ever tested and received their results. It further reports that knowledge of HIV status helps HIV-negative individuals make specific decisions to reduce risk and increase safer sex practices so that they can remain disease free and for the HIV infected, knowledge of their status allows them to take action to protect their sexual partners, access treatment, and plan for the future. (UDHS, 2016) | en_US |
