The government, through the Ministry of Health, has introduced a strategy that targets to revive and enhance the fight against HIV/AIDS.
On Thursday, May 9, 2024, Uganda launched a new strategy code named the “National Community Check Now HIV Self-Test Kit” as an additional approach to combating the virus.
Under this strategy, the Ministry of Health will roll out HIV self-test kits in at least 146 districts, mainly targeting key populations, to ease access to HIV testing and reduce associated stigma.
According to the Minister of Health, Jane Ruth Acheng, the kits will help communities to know their HIV status in real time, adding that they are one step forward to achieving the UNAIDS 95:95:95 target by 2030.
She reemphasized that the self-test kits will be provided free of charge and will be accessible from Village Health Teams (VHTs) and other health facilities.
The launch was graced by the presence of Vice President Major (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, who represented the President at the event held at the Kololo Independence Grounds.
The HIV prevalence among adults aged 15–64 in Uganda is 6.2% and 7.6% among females, 4.7% among males, and approximately 1.2 million people in the Ugandan area live with HIV.
In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of HIV self-testing as an additional approach to HIV testing services to enable communities know their HIV status in real time.
