Urgent appeal to HIV/AIDS civil society in Uganda

We, the leaders of minority organisations in Uganda with special interest in reversing HIV/AIDS prevalence rates among our constituencies;

Aware of the important contribution of Ugandan civil society to best practices in global management of HIV/AIDS;

In full solidarity with you our sisters and brothers in the genuine struggles ahead to better management of HIV/AIDS Uganda;

Underscoring the important lobbying you do for universal access to anti-retroviral therapy, better pediatric HIV/AIDS management, putting an end to stock outs of medicines in health facilities, engendering health, Safe motherhood and reproductive health and rights;

Underscoring the incredible contribution to research by sex workers and the LGBTI community in other countries to the development and advancement of knowledge on anti-retroviral therapy, prevention, care and diagnostic regimes, currently benefiting Ugandans;

Recognising the diversity in constituencies we advocate for;

Aware of the sensitivities associated with some of the constituencies we advocate for;

Recognising the bravery of incredible people including Noerine and Christopher Kaleeba and Philly Bongoley Lutaaya to ending stigma, rejection, discrimination, and condemnation based on HIV/AIDS:

Do hereby make this passionate and urgent call of action to you as we mark World Aids Day 2010 under the international theme 'Universal Access and Human Rights' to make efforts in addressing Uganda’s population of sexual minorities and commercial sex workers in an effort to scale down HIV/AIDS prevalence in Uganda.

The 6.4 per cent national HIV prevalence is not acceptable, especially given that policy makers in our country are playing the ostrich game with this bridging population.

Men who have sex with Men (MSM) in Uganda have no access to information, sensitisation or awareness from the public health framework on prevention, care or treatment that addresses their specific challenges. All HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness messages target heterosexuals, creating the wrong and dangerous assumption that only unprotected heterosexual relationships can result in infections.

We therefore specifically call on fellow activists to:

- Show solidarity when efforts to sensitise our constituencies on HIV/AIDS are interrupted by policy makers, like the recent cancellation of a sex workers conference at Serena Victoria Hotel. HIV/AIDS awareness and protection was on the agenda of that meeting, cancelled by Ethics Minister James Nsaba Buturo.

- Ask government to include LGBTI access to health care in the Health Sector Strategic Investment Plan III and in the HIV Health Sector HIV Strategic Plan II.

- Demand government commitment to providing sexual minorities access to health care, awareness, information and sensitisation as a public health obligation in the HIV/AIDS Control Bill 2010.

- Ask government to include LGBTI access to health care in research activities.

- Implement recommendations in the National Policy Guidelines and Service Standards for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights to enable LGBTI access to health care without discrimination.

- Call for the total withdrawal of the Anti Homosexuality Bill from the Ugandan Parliament as it will cause undue interference in the management of HIV/AIDS in Uganda and gains made so far.

For God and My Country

For details and partnership on this appeal, contact:
Uhspa-Uganda
Plot 4A, Kimera Road, Ntinda, Kampala (Next to Quality Supermarket)
Tel: cell. +256 752 628406, Office: + 256 (0)392911830,
Email: [email][email protected]

Uganda Health and Science Press Association ( UHSPA-Uganda)
Women’s Network for Human Rights Advocacy (WONETHA)
Human Rights Awareness and Promotion Forum-Uganda
Frank & Candy -Uganda
Rain Bow Health Foundation,Mbarara
Dr Paul Semugooma, MD