PWDs Living With HIV/AIDs Call for Better Access to HIV Care Services

People Living With Disabilities have urged government to address some of the myths and misconceptions in the public that People Living With Disabilities (PWDs), are sexually in active and immune to HIV/AIDS.

These, say this has put a strain on proper and inclusive HIV care and service accessibility but also increased HIV/AIDs Infection among them.

Speaking at the launch of a PEPFAR-Tunaweza Foundation, HIV project for PWDs, Lonah Kanushu the National Member of Parliament representing People Living With Disabilities, said there’s needs for mindset change in the public on the myths surrounding PWDs and sexuality.

“A lot of mindset needs to be done, some myths that people with disability are sexually inactive and can not actively contract AIDs, we are always left behind, many think we are not sexually active, this has raised the levels of HIV/AIDs Infections among the PWDs, We have a number of them in communities, some are sex workers, the same problem affecting people also affect us,” she said.

Kanushu said that Uganda has a lot of laws on Disbility, but these are not being implemented.

She further stressed that access to HIV care and other medical care is problematic.

Victo Nalule, the Executive Director, Tunaweza foundation said they want to ensure people living with disabilities receive better access to HIV care and related services.

She said they hope to do this through the one-year project where targeted beneficiaries will receive inclusive and appropriate HIV related services.

Nalule said some of the biggest challenges facing PWDs as well as people living with HIV/AIDs is poor community-based care, unemployment making services difficult, stigma among others.

She said the project will include PWD-style information access/ pathways, access to testing and treatment and access to counseling considering the various limitations of PWDs.

The intervention funded by PEPFAR small grants and US Mission in Kampala, targets 150 beneficiaries in Kawempe division in Kampala. The project will cost Ugx Shs52 million.

Mary Borgman, the country coordinator of PEPFAR at the US Mission, said the intervention has potential to boost the quality of life for people living with disabilities as well as with HIV/AIDs.

She said that the partnership is purposed to ensure centralized health care to persons living with disability.

“Our goal is to make it an easier undertaking for people living with disabilities as well as HIV/AIDS to access services from wherever they’re are,” Borgman said.

A report by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development in 2020, household survey indicated that 8.5 percent of Ugandans have a disability.

According to TASO’s Client register, there are more than 13,000 people with disabilities in Kampala and Wakiso enrolled into HIV care. However, this number does not cover people that attain their HIV care from other entities and districts.