Uganda’s fight against HIV is far from over

What the report says

Uganda’s latest national HIV survey suggests the country has made strong gains in treatment, but still faces a significant diagnosis gap. According to The Independent Uganda’s report on preliminary findings from the 2025 Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA 2025), released by the Ministry of Health on Oct. 1, about 1.496 million adults aged 15 and above are living with HIV, with overall prevalence at 5.9%. The burden remains higher among women, at 7.3%, compared with 4.1% among men.

The report says Uganda is performing well once people are linked to care: 99.1% of adults who knew their HIV status were receiving antiretroviral treatment, and 96.5% of those on treatment had suppressed the virus. But only 85.3% of adults living with HIV knew their status, leaving the country short of the first “95” target in the global 95-95-95 framework. Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi and Ministry Permanent Secretary Diana Atwine both framed the survey as a planning tool for the next phase of the response.

The article also notes that prevalence among adults 15 to 49 has stayed at 5.5%, suggesting the long-term decline has slowed. While the report highlights progress in treatment outcomes, it says the remaining challenge is finding undiagnosed people, improving prevention and closing gaps among younger people and across regions. The final survey report is expected to add more detail on new infections and behavior patterns.