The District chairman Kabarole Richard Rwabuhinga has strongly warned leaders and councilors in the district against making the deadly HIV AIDS problem a tribal issue.
According to the Acting District Health Officer Dr. Richard Obeti, the HIV AIDS prevalence rate now stands at 11.9percent higher than the nation rate of 7.5 percent which he says is scaring the stakeholders.
The sub counties with high prevalence rate are Hakibaale, Kasenda, Rwimi and West division in Fort Portal municipality is ranked Number one.
Mr. Rwabuhinga admits that this prevalence rate is unacceptable and alarming but cautions leaders against tribalizing the HIV AIDS problem.
The chairman said, “I want the district and stakeholders to draft a district wide strategy that would assist in curbing the deadly scourge. The scourge is alarming and has claimed lives of many people in the district and continues to infect many others seriously. We need an international intervention”.
Rwabuhinga’s warning follows comments by Moses Kangwaje the LC3 chairman Rwimi sub county, Emmanuel Tugume, the district councillor Kasenda sub county and Edison Businge the Hakibaale sub county areas dominated by Bakiga that HIV Prevalence in these places was worrying.
This was during the Kabarole District Stakeholders health Assembly held at the district headquarters Kitumba East division recently.
Tugume said, “I want the DHOs office to zone out the most affected areas and find out what could be the cause of the rise”.
Businge Edison says Hakibaale was leading in HIV because they have only one health center, making it difficult for a big population to access health services.
Kangwaje called for a massive distribution of condoms.
Prosper Businge, the councilor West division said, “Students of Mountains of the Moon University and Uganda Pentecostal University are engaging in unprotected sex as if there is no tomorrow”.
They resolved that specific strategies and interventions be designed for areas mostly affected, condoms be supplied to risk designated areas and scaling up strong messages against HIV AIDS.
