By Zainab Ali The katikiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga has implored men to spearhead in the fight against the scourge of HIV/Aids. He was speaking at the launch of the 2020-2022 Kabaka’s charity birthday run under the theme Men against aids to save the girl child. Katiikiro Mayiga said since the African traditional practices […]
By Zainab Ali
The katikiro of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga has implored men to spearhead in the fight against the scourge of HIV/Aids.
He was speaking at the launch of the 2020-2022 Kabaka’s charity birthday run under the theme Men against aids to save the girl child.
Katiikiro Mayiga said since the African traditional practices put men in the lead of initiating and sustaining sexual relationships it’s imperative that the campaign for the next 3years focus on both young and old men.
He cautioned men against the habit of randomly picking women for sex while traveling on duty to desist from such acts and instead stay faithful to their partners.
Katikiro Mayiga expressed dismay at the way men take advantage of given opportunities to lure young girls for as low as 5000shillings for sex.
The Kabaka Birthday Run is an annual event to mark the King’s birthday as part of a partnership with multiple cooperate companies with the Buganda Kingdom.
For the next three years, the Buganda Kingdom will work with UNAIDS which is leading the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr Karusa Kiragu Gikonyo the country director UNAIDS says she fears that HIV is being overlooked because people who test positive easily access treatment and live almost normal lives.
She says Uganda registers 1000 new HIV infections every week, this slows the progress of a shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths
In 2017, the focus was shifted from Fistula to the Fight against Sickle Cells – with an intention of directing the Run’s proceeds towards fighting the sickle cell disease in Uganda.
Together with the Ministry of Health, the impact has been created in the areas of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness, testing, and prevention. Over 150,000 people were tested in a three-year period.
