By Uganda is making progress in reducing new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, but the rate of decline is too slow for the country to meet its goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) has warned.
Speaking during the launch of the UNAIDS Global Update Report, Dr. Vincent Bagambe, UAC’s Director of Planning and Strategic Information, revealed that Uganda still records 37,000 new infections annually, with 1.5 million people living with HIV. Women remain disproportionately affected, accounting for 930,000 cases, while 70,000 children are living with the virus.
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“Our target was to reduce new infections to below 10,000 by 2030, but at the current pace, we risk missing that target,” Dr. Bagambe said. “We have made progress, but not fast enough. We need to bend the curves of new infections and AIDS-related deaths.”
HIV prevalence currently stands at 4.9%, down from 18% in the 1990s, but remains higher among women at 6.4% compared to 3.4% in men. While new infections have dropped by 61% since 2010, adolescent girls and young women remain the most vulnerable, contributing 70% of new infections among youth. Mother-to-child transmission has declined by 75%, from 18,600 cases 15 years ago to 4,700 annually, but Uganda is yet to achieve elimination.
Dr. Bagambe cited funding uncertainty as a major challenge following cuts in donor support, particularly from the United States. “Uganda’s HIV response is still heavily donor-dependent. If we do not increase domestic funding, our progress will stall,” he warned. He noted that government has allocated UGX 350 billion for the HIV response in the 2025/26 budget, including UGX 100 billion for drugs and commodities.
The Commission reported strong progress toward the 95-95-95 targets, with 94% of people living with HIV aware of their status, 90% on treatment, and 97% achieving viral suppression. However, children and men are lagging behind, with only 80% of HIV-positive children tested and 89% achieving viral suppression.
Risk factors fueling the epidemic include multiple sexual partnerships, low condom use, alcohol and drug abuse, and lack of male circumcision among young men. Structural drivers such as gender inequality, poverty, and stigma continue to increase vulnerabilities, particularly among adolescent girls, young women, and sex workers.
Dr. Bagambe urged the media to help combat misinformation and raise awareness, especially among vulnerable groups. He also called on government, the private sector, and civil society to increase domestic financing and support for prevention programs.
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“We have the technology and medicines to keep people alive, but too many are still dying because they delay testing or drop out of care,” he said.
Uganda plans to integrate HIV services into broader health programs under a national HIV sustainability roadmap, focusing on prevention and reducing donor dependency.
“Ending AIDS is possible, but only if we invest more in prevention, keep people on treatment, and address social drivers of the epidemic,” Dr. Bagambe emphasized.
