The last 15 per cent: Uganda nears HIV elimination

What the report says

Uganda is moving closer to its goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030, according to the 2025 Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment reported by The Observer. The findings show that 96.5% of adults living with HIV who know their status and are on antiretroviral treatment have suppressed the virus, while overall viral suppression among all adults with HIV has risen to 86%, up from 75.4% in 2020. Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi said the country has shifted from the fear that once surrounded HIV diagnosis to a more routine model of treatment and care.

The report also highlights major gaps that remain. About 14.7% of HIV-positive adults, or roughly 15,000 people, are said not to know they are infected, meaning they cannot access treatment and may continue to spread the virus unknowingly. The article also points to weaker outcomes among young women aged 15 to 24, whose viral suppression rate is far below that of older adults. Health officials and advocates link this to stigma, privacy concerns and limited youth-focused support.

Civil society leaders caution that the national progress should not be mistaken for the end of the crisis. Flavia Kyomukama of NAFOPHANU said Uganda still records tens of thousands of new infections each year and warned that funding cuts affecting community programmes have made adherence support harder. The piece also notes regional differences in prevalence, with higher rates in some parts of the country than in others, underscoring the uneven nature of the epidemic.