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By Spy Uganda
Fort Portal City has recorded the highest HIV prevalence among Uganda’s cities, according to a new report released by the Ministry of Health, highlighting the continued challenge of HIV infections in several urban centres across the country.
The report, titled “HIV Situation – Uganda Cities,” shows that Fort Portal tops the list with an HIV prevalence rate of 14.3 percent, followed by Soroti at 11.6 percent and Mbarara at 9.9 percent.
Gulu and Masaka each recorded an HIV prevalence of 9.6 percent, while Lira followed closely with 9.1 percent.
Hoima registered 7.7 percent, Jinja 6.5 percent, Kampala 5.6 percent, and Mbale had the lowest prevalence among the ten listed cities at 4.9 percent.
While Fort Portal recorded the highest prevalence, Kampala registered the largest number of new HIV infections among people aged 15 years and above.
According to the report, Kampala recorded 1,840 new HIV infections, far exceeding all other cities.
The figures for the remaining cities are as follows:
Mbarara – 380 new infections
Gulu – 380
Lira – 350
Mbale – 310
Masaka – 300
Jinja – 270
Fort Portal – 250
Soroti – 220
Hoima – 170
Health experts note that HIV prevalence and the number of new infections measure different aspects of the epidemic. HIV prevalence reflects the proportion of people living with HIV in a population, while new infections indicate the number of people who recently acquired the virus.
The data suggests that although Fort Portal has the highest proportion of people living with HIV, Kampala’s large population contributes to the country’s highest number of new HIV infections.
The findings underscore the need for strengthened HIV prevention campaigns, increased testing, early treatment, and sustained public awareness efforts, particularly in urban centres where transmission remains significant.
Uganda has made substantial progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS over the years through widespread access to antiretroviral treatment, voluntary testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission programmes, and public education campaigns. However, the latest figures indicate that the epidemic continues to pose a major public health challenge in several cities across the country.
, https://www.spyuganda.com/fort-portal-records-highest-hiv-prevalence-among-ugandas-cities-report/
