Alur Kingdom commits to collaborate with govt in a fight against HIV Aids

Full report

By Mike Rwothomio

The Alur Kingdom has pledged full support for strengthened collaboration with the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) and relevant government ministries to implement targeted HIV and AIDS interventions, aiming to reduce new infections and end AIDS as a public health threat in Uganda by 2030.

This commitment was made on Tuesday August 4, 2026 by the Kingdom’s Prime Minister (Jadipu), Prince Lawrence Opar Angala, who serves as Vice Chairman of the Council of Traditional Leaders in Africa (COTLA) – Uganda Chapter.

Speaking during a one-day workshop organized by the UAC for selected cultural and traditional institutions, Prince Opar Angala welcomed government assurances of robust, holistic support to cultural institutions nationwide for the successful realization of the National HIV and AIDS Action Plan for Cultural Institutions and Traditional Leaders (2024/25–2029/30).

He added that Alur Kingdom faces significant challenges in HIV/AIDS response, particularly among adolescent girls and young women.

These include low awareness and persistent silence around the disease, high sexual activity driven by peer pressure with multiple concurrent partners, widespread unprotected sex, low HIV testing rates due to fear of positive results, ignorance and myths about transmission, poverty and unemployment leading to transactional sex, parental negligence on SRHR discussions, substance abuse, and exposure to pornography in entertainment venues.

“We have high-risk cultural practices that inadvertently increase vulnerability such as multi-day traditional marriage ceremonies (Keny), fishing expeditions (Dwaro nam), ritual piercings (Udec and Rit) with shared instruments, blood brotherhood (Maku rimu), widow inheritance (Lagu) without testing, forced marriages, and large nighttime gatherings which must be regulated,” he said.

These factors, combined with inadequate maternal health practices, contribute to ongoing transmission despite the Kingdom’s strengths.

The Kingdom’s commitment aligns with 11 strategies outlined in 2025 by the Kingdom’s Minister of Health, including Prevention of Underage Marriages, Community Engagement, Economic Empowerment, Support for Government Programs, HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaigns, Promotion of Positive Cultural Practices, Youth Engagement, and Promotion of HIV Testing.

Government Interventions and the National Action Plan

The Uganda AIDS Commission, the statutory body under the Office of the President responsible for leading and coordinating the national multi-sectoral HIV and AIDS response, reaffirmed its dedication to partnering with cultural and traditional institutions.

Representing UAC Director General Dr. Nelson Musoba, Director of Partnerships Mr. Tom Etii highlighted a steady decline in HIV prevalence across most regions and urged cultural leaders to serve as vanguards in implementing the National HIV and AIDS Action Plan specifically tailored for Cultural and Traditional Institutions (2024/25–2029/30).

The five-year plan details a minimum package of HIV and AIDS interventions to be delivered through cultural institutions and traditional leadership structures. Proper execution is expected to significantly curb further transmission of the virus.

Mr. Evaristo Kyalimpa, Senior Culture Officer in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, commended the vital grassroots role of cultural institutions and called for full internalization of the Action Plan for effective community-level delivery.

Uganda has taken a monumental step forward in the fight against HIV with the official launch of The National HIV and AIDS Action Plan for Cultural Institutions and Traditional Leaders (2024/2025–2029/2030).

This innovative strategy empowers traditional kingdoms and grassroots leadership structures to lead HIV prevention directly within their communities.

Developed through a powerful partnership between the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD), the multi-sectoral plan recognizes that while biomedical tools are vital, mobilizing cultural systems is key to tackling deep-seated social drivers of the epidemic.

Strategic Pillars include transformative cultural interventions that reform harmful practices while leveraging positive customs; hope-driven communication using approved local-language materials to dispel myths and reduce stigma; accelerating progress toward the 95-95-95 targets and ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030; and empowering women and girls by addressing socio-cultural vulnerabilities.

Implementation Structure features grassroots execution by kingdoms and chiefdoms, institutional commitment from leaders including COTLA, standardized messaging approved by UAC, national coordination via Self-Coordinating Entities (SCEs), and government oversight by MGLSD.

According to government, the Goal of the Action Plan is to ensure a coordinated, sustained and meaningful contribution to the multi-sectoral HIV response by cultural institutions and traditional leadership structures to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 in Uganda.

Its specific objectives are:To enhance access to evidence-informed, culturally appropriate HIV and TB stigma reduction and HIV prevention messages by all age groups.

To promote availability, accessibility, and demand for HIV/AIDS care and treatment services, including SGBV, SRH, ART adherence, and positive living for PLHIV.

To promote social support, protection, and economic empowerment for vulnerable groups to reduce HIV vulnerability.

To build the capacity of cultural and traditional leaders for consolidated implementation.

To strengthen advocacy against socio-cultural beliefs and structural barriers that propagate HIV.

The plan leverages cultural institutions as custodians of culture with strong influence on beliefs and behaviors, enabling them to redefine harmful norms.

It will be implemented through structures such as the Uganda Kings and Cultural Leaders’ Forum, Prime Ministers’ Forum, Elders’ Forums, and clan leaders, with apex bodies like COTLA spearheading efforts.

Both the Ministry and UAC emphasized timely activity reporting and integration with stakeholders including local governments, traditional healers, private practitioners, media, and educational institutions.

COTLA Chairman Mr. Obbo Josel Richard praised the workshop for aligning strategies.

According to Uganda Aids Commission, Regional prevalence includes West Nile at 2.3%, compared to higher areas like South Buganda at 7.5%. Experts say collaborative framework and commitment amongst institutions, signals renewed momentum in Uganda’s journey to end HIV as a public health threat.

National statistics show approximately 1.52 million people living with HIV, 37,000 new infections annually, and AIDS-related deaths reduced to around 20,000 per year, with strong progress toward 95-95-95 targets (94% know their status, 90% on ART, 96% virally suppressed).