[afro-nets] 'Uganda Has Highest Number of Orphans'

[Leela McCullough <leela@healthnet.org>]

'Uganda Has Highest Number of Orphans'
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http://allafrica.com/publishers.html?passed_name=The%20Monitor&passed_location=Kampala 

The Monitor (Kampala)

February 4, 2005
Posted to the web February 4, 2005

Jane Nafula
Kampala

Uganda has the highest number of orphans in Africa, an official
from the Uganda HIV/Aids Control Project has said.

Mr Julius Byenkya said 70 percent of them were orphaned by
HIV/AIDS.

He said this at the official launch of the Public Transport
HIV/AIDS awareness campaign at Hotel Equatoria recently.

The campaign aims at using public transport (road and water)
systems to promote HIV/Aids awareness for behavioural change.

FRK Communications, a multi-dimensional Behavioural Change Com-
munication firm has started implementing the campaign in the
districts of Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono and Mpigi to run for one
year.

The campaign is sponsored by the Uganda Aids Commission and co-
ordinated by Uganda HIV/Aids Control Project under project sup-
port 2004-05.

Byenkya said low levels of behavioural change had increased peo-
ple's risk of contracting HIV/Aids.

"HIV /AIDS awareness is 98 percent, but behavioural change is
very low. Whereas people know that having unprotected sex with
several partners exposes one to HIV/Aids, most people are still
practising it with and even buy sex workers," he said.


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