THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC IN UGANDA

Uganda has been one of the countries hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic over the past 25 years. From only two known HIV/AIDS cases in 1982, the epidemic grew to reach a cumulative two million infections by the end of 2000, and it’s estimated that these, around half of them have since died.
It has been estimated that HIV/AIDS has had a direct impact on at least one in every ten house holds in the country, including the 884,000 HIV/AIDS orphans (UNAIDS, 200). The Uganda AIDS commission (UCA, 2001) gives similar, but slightly different figures, with a cumulative total of 2.2 million people infected with HIV since its onset, of which about 800,000 people are estimated to have died of AIDS, about 1.4 million people were then estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS, of whom 100,000 were children under 15 years. The UAC gave much higher figures of over 1.7 million children orphaned by AIDS. The risk of mother to child transmission of HIV (MTCT) was estimated at 15-25% (UCA, 2004)

HIV EFFECTS TO GIRLS/WOMEN AND BOYS/MEN IN UGANDA

Both genders are affected by HIV/AIDS at the house hold level where social- economic factors combine with socio- cultural and factors variables to influence prevalence. It’s the house unit that carries the greatest burden of poverty, inequality which interacts with the epidemic at the house hold level to continue a dangerous down ward cycle towards greater indigence.

The epidemic deepens poverty among the already poor through loss of income and medical care costs, which absorb up to one third of house hold income.

Children schooling is disrupted especially among girls because they are sent to take care of the affected HIV positive relatives. On addition to this, it also brings a strain of growing extended family network as households often send their children to live else where most often with relatives.

The epidemic brings a spirit of borrowing and selling of house hold assets for treatment of the positive family individuals and all house hold savings and income, becomes the most important sources for covering treatment costs,

The epidemic also affects intergenerational transmission of knowledge and it imposes a greater burden on the elderly while reducing their economic security which could look after their children to become economically productive adults.

The epidemic more so affects the married partners in cases where one partner is found positive and another negative (discondent situations ) , hence bringing up miss understandings, break ups, violent attacks to the affected individual especially if a woman is found negative.

HIV epidemic is the leading cause of mental disturbances and madness to the affected positive individuals because they think of dieing any time, think about how they will live their children, wives/husbands and other relatives.

On business side, HIV epidemic reduce on labor productivity and increased absenteeism because positive individuals my some time get on and off sickness which hinders them from coming to work for some days.

On the side of education, positive students tend to decline in their performance at schools because of much worries and little concentration on school programs.

The epidemic also cause an increased number of people getting infected every day because HIV positive individuals gain hearts of no mercy and they start spreading to others with a say “I DON’T DIE ALONE”