Experts call for change in Uganda’s HIV strategy

What the report says

Public health experts in Uganda are urging a shift in HIV testing strategy after preliminary results from the 2025 Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) indicated that many people living with HIV still do not know their status. The Observer reports that the findings point to strong progress in treatment coverage and viral suppression, but also to a persistent gap in identifying undiagnosed cases.

Kenneth Mwehonge of the Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development said health authorities should move beyond routine facility-based testing and focus more directly on communities and population groups where undiagnosed infections are likely to be concentrated. He pointed to the use of existing data on HIV “hotspots” and suggested that Uganda could adapt contact tracing approaches used in outbreak responses. Health ministry permanent secretary Dr Diana Atwine said people who remain unaware of their status are the biggest remaining challenge in the HIV response.

According to the survey, which was carried out from July to September 2025 by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry of Health, Makerere University School of Public Health and the Uganda Virus Research Institute, HIV prevalence remains uneven across the country. The report cited higher rates in southwestern Uganda and parts of the central region, while Karamoja and West Nile recorded the lowest levels. Women continue to have a higher prevalence than men.

Health minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi said Uganda is close to reaching treatment goals for people who already know their status, but needs more testing options to reach the national target of 95 per cent awareness by 2030. He highlighted HIV self-testing as one possible way to reach people who are not being diagnosed through existing channels.