.Kabarole district chairman Mr.Rwabuhinga Richard has appealed to the United States (US) government for a special intervention in fighting against the high HIV /AIDS among the youth in Rwenzori region. There are seven districts in Rwenzori but Kabarole has the highest HIV prevalence rate of 11.5percent compared to the National rate of 7.3% Mr.Rwabuhinga said, “I appeal to the US government to come up with special interventions and increased funding to fight the high prevalence rates of HIV AIDS among the youth in the region. The disease is alarming among the the youth and worrying us the leaders”. He was speaking during the closure of Global leaders and partners conference on Saving Mothers Giving Life (SMGL) project at Mountains of the Moon Hotel in Fort Portal. SMGL project that started in 2012 with the aim of reducing maternal mortality and improving antenatal cares services is implemented by Baylor in Uganda, Nigeria and Zambia where statistics indicated staggering deaths of mothers and infants during labour.

Rwabuhinga told the US Ambassador to Uganda Mr.Scott DeLisi that as the US focuses much on the prevention of Mother to Child transmission and the recently introduced Elimination of Mother to Child transmission of HIV AIDS (EMTCT) championed by 1st lady Mrs Janet Museveni, the youth have been given little or no attention and yet the prevalence rate is high among them. He asked the US government and other foreign partners to look for special interventions and increase funding to the HIV AIDS fight in Rwenzori region especially Kabarole district that has an alarming prevalence rate. The chairman said, “When you put much emphasis on EMTCT, care for mothers and newborns only without serious intervention for the youth who are dying of HIV like grasshoppers, and then there are no hopes of curbing the scourge”. Rwabuhinga who acknowledge Obulamu and safe male circumcision as some of the strategies to fight HIV, observed that the youth need special
intervention. In his speech ambassador Scott said that the US is committed to continue funding health programs in Africa but to a country that is strong, honest and accountable.