Lack of youth-friendly corners hindering HIV treatment in Gulu

The lack of youth-friendly corners in most government health facilities in Gulu District is hampering the enrolment of young adolescents who are HIV-positive into antiretroviral therapy (ART). 

A youth-friendly corner is a special section within a health facility where youth can access information and services on sexual and reproductive health. 

They include HIV counselling and testing, health talks, condom distribution, and enrolment into ART, among others. 

But, Gladys Aber, youth counsellor working with TASO attached to Awach Health Centre IV in Gulu district revealed that most of the health facilities in the district lack such facilities something she said is not only hampering the enrolment of young people found HIV-positive to ART, but also affecting their adherence to medication. 

According to Aber, most of the health facilities in the district offer sexual and reproductive health services for the youth in ART clinic something the youth shun for fear of being stigmatised. 

Recent statistics obtained from the Uganda AIDS Commission indicate that Gulu district had 5,900 persons living with HIV/AIDS representing 8.8 percent prevalence rate. 

According to the same statistics, Gulu City had the highest prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the Acholi sub-region with 11.3 percent followed Omoro and Pader districts with 9.3 and 8.9 percent respectively. 

Juliet Aunu Okeny, a meal specialist working with USAID-local partners Health Services in Acholi and Ankole Ankole said viral load suppression among young adolescents aged below 15 in the Acholi sub-region stands at 69 percent as opposed to 99 percent among those above the age of 15.

This is according to the ongoing research being conducted by USAID-local partners Health Services in Acholi and Ankole, according to her.

It is estimated that 1.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda but only 1.2 million of those are enrolled on ART, according to statistics from the Uganda AIDS Commission.