Clergy warn on social media role in HIV prevalence

Religious leaders have cautioned against the use of wrong social media platforms saying they are used to promote immorality.

 According to the clergy, social media usage is likely to contribute to a rise in the spread of HIV among the population.

Orthodox Diocese of Jinja and Eastern Uganda vicar general Fr Chrysostom Koolya warns that the trend is most worrying among the youth and young adults.

“This group is easily taken up by social media messages and the Western culture,” Koolya said on Thursday, March 28, 2024, during a training of religious leaders on their role in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The training held at Christ’s Cathedral Bugembe in Jinja city was organised by the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) in conjunction with the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU).

Susan Naguyo, Jinja district HIV/AIDS focal person.

In a bid to counter such risky behaviour and its related effects, Koolya said they now use every opportunity including the weekly church services, youth camps, weddings and burials to preach against HIV/AIDS.

“Even in our sermons, we touch on issues such as prevention through faithfulness, abstinence, proper management of the sick as well as discouraging stigma among the patients,” Koolya said.

Repackage prevention messages

However, Christ’s Cathedral Bugembe assistant vicar the Rev. David Munobwa, who also expressed dismay over misleading messages on social media, called for repackaging of the HIV/AIDS messages.

“Safe Male Circumcision (SMC) was hyped so much that some people believed that circumcised men are immune to HIV, which is wrong. We need to repackage some of these messages,” he said.

Prevalence rate higher in city

Jinja district HIV/AIDS focal person Susan Naguyo had earlier informed the meeting that HIV prevalence stands at 8.4% in Jinja city and 3% for Jinja district, against the national average of 5.1%.

Naguyo further said a survey done between October and December 2023, found that there were 45 new infections in Buwenge town council, 34 in Buwenge sub-county, while Kakira and Busede had 14 new cases.

“The revelations of this study are a big concern for all stakeholders in the fight against this disease as the new infections undermine our national goal of ending HIV/AIDS by 2030,” Naguyo noted.

Spread the message 

 Inter-Religious Council of Uganda manager for reproductive health and HIV/AIDS Dr Rebecca Kivumbi Mayanja urged religious leaders to utilise their platforms to spread the message about the deadly scourge.

“You (religious leaders) are key in this campaign because each week you speak to millions of people. They listen and respect your messages yet you too need healthy congregations,” she said.

Mayanja urged the leaders to encourage people to lead faithful lives, and test to know their sero-status such that those found to be positive are enrolled on treatment early enough.

According to Dr. Stephen Asiimwe, the prevention officer at UAC, HIV prevalence is highest among those in the age bracket of 16-24 who are the most sexually active but added that HIV/AIDS messages should be given to all people.

During the meeting, UAC introduced to the leaders a national HIV/AIDS action plan for the faith sector, which will be rolled out to cover the whole country.

The action plan 2021/22-202425, aims at creating and sustaining the contribution of the faith sector to accelerate efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.