Anti-Homosexuality Bill: Uganda Promises Equitable HIV/AIDS Treatment Amid Death Penalty
Uganda will ensure that everyone has equitable access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care after the president signed an anti-homosexuality bill into law.
Health minister Ruth Aceng said following concerns by global organisations that the new law might negatively impact access to HIV/AIDS services.
“Uganda will ensure that prevention programmes for HIV epidemic control remain accessible to those that need them in a non-discriminatory manner observing principles of confidentiality and equity,” Ms Aceng tweeted. “Our previous efforts brought down new HIV infections from 100,000 in 2015 to 17,000 in 2022.”
The minister added, “Similarly, HIV prevalence has declined from 18 per cent to 5.5 per cent now.”
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She noted that with 1.3 million people on treatment out of the estimated 1.43 million people living with HIV, the country was on course to HIV epidemic control.
Ms Aceng said despite concerns from global organisations, Uganda remained committed to ending AIDS as a public health challenge by 2030.
The parliament speaker said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the contentious anti-homosexuality bill into law on Monday.
Mr Museveni assented to the bill that imposed death and life imprisonment sentences for certain same-sex acts, up to 20 years in jail for promoting and funding same-sex activities.
According to the bill, a suspect convicted of attempted aggravated homosexuality will face 14 years in prison.
(Xinhua/NAN)
