According to a press statement issued Thursday afternoon by the Uganda Aids Commision, the objective of the public HIV counseling and testing is to demonstrate to all Ugandans the importance of knowing your HIV status as an action towards an HIV-free generation.
The President is expected to call upon parents, teachers, all political, religious, cultural, and community leaders as well as the media in Uganda, to urge Ugandans to test for HIV and seek advice and care from a health facility and to encourage men to be actively involved in the health of their families.
First Lady Janet Museveni, the champion of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV campaign in Uganda reminds all pregnant women to get tested for HIV.
Below is the full statement
Public Couple HIV Counseling and Testing of
President Museveni and the First Lady
His Excellency the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his wife, Janet Museveni, are leading by example in a bid to roll-back the HIV epidemic in Uganda. The President and his wife will publicly test for HIV along with key Ugandan leaders.
The objective of the public HIV counseling and testing is to demonstrate to all Ugandans the importance of knowing your HIV status as an action towards an HIV-free generation.
The benefits of counseling and testing for HIV are:
• People who have tested are less likely to get infected and less likely to infect their loved ones.
• People who learn early that they are HIV positive, will get the care and treatment they need, which will improve their quality of life.
• Any pregnant woman who tests HIV positive will be given treatment and assisted to have an HIV-free baby.
• Testing for HIV together as a couple will help a couple to support each other, and if one is HIV positive and another is negative, the negative person will be assisted to remain negative.
In addition to HIV counseling and testing, other HIV prevention methods are critical to reducing the spread of HIV, including: delaying first sex, abstinence, being faithful, correct and consistent condom use, voluntary counseling and testing, testing for HIV when pregnant to eliminate mother-to-child transmission, safe male circumcision, and antiretroviral therapy to reduce new HIV infections.
The President will call upon parents, teachers, all political, religious, cultural, and community leaders as well as the media in Uganda, to urge Ugandans to test for HIV and seek advice and care from a health facility and to encourage men to be actively involved in the health of their families. The First Lady, the champion of the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV campaign in Uganda reminds all pregnant women to get tested for HIV.
WHAT:Public HIV Testing of President Museveni and the First Lady
WHEN:Friday, 8th November, 2013
TIME:10:00 A.M
WHERE:Kiswa Health Center IV, Opposite Shell Bugolobi
