Youth-friendly corners should be supported as option for HIV services - UAC

HEALTH | HIV SERVICES | YOUTH 

KAMPALA - Uganda Aids Commission (UAC) has emphasized a need to empower and support Youth Friendly Corners so that they can effectively offer HIV/AIDS services to young people as an option. (Photo by Violet Nabatanzi)

Despite the progress the country has made in the fight against HIV/AIDS, young people especially adolescent girls and young women aged (15-24) account for over one-third of new HIV infections with their HIV prevalence (2.9%) almost three times that of their male counterparts (0.8%).

Youth corners are designated places within existing health facilities where youth or adolescent-friendly health services are provided.

Charles Otai, the Monitoring and Evaluation officer at UAC, said more youth were getting HIV/AIDS services from the Youth Friendly corners, adding that Youth Friendly corners should be strengthened so that those who need to get specialised attention and services can easily walk to them.

“Someone may not feel comfortable to walk through a youth-friendly corner because they will assume whoever walks in there could be going for HIV services, but it’s better to have options for those who may wish to,’’ explains Otai during a press conference organised by Uganda Network of AIDS Service Organisations (UNASO).

According to Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) report 2020, the National HIV prevalence stood at 5.5 % with the HIV prevalence of women at 7.1% almost double that of men at 3.8%.

Otai also said issues of stigma and discrimination are limiting people's access to HIV/AIDS services in health facilities.

Otai disclosed that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and abuse of human rights were promoting HIV new infections.

Shakira Namwanje, a policy, Research and Advocacy Officer at UNASO emphasised that there was a need for collective efforts to end HIV/AIDS.

“We all have to take action in the fight to end HIV, one of the drivers of HIV is stigma and discrimination, if you’re someone who discriminates against a person because they are living positively, in this day and era, it’s a shame that we are still living in this kind of World,’’ Namwanje said.

Ruth Akulu the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) fellow advocating for HIV prevalence and Research and working at the International Community of Women Living with HIV Eastern Africa reminded People Living with HIV that there is still hope however much they are living with the virus, they can live a healthy life.