SRHR Alliance Boss Calls for Integrated Support for Young People Living with HIV

ParrotsugNov 6, 2026Read original

Young people living with HIV need integrated health, economic empowerment and sexual and reproductive health services to overcome stigma and lead productive lives, Olga Namukuza, the country director of the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance Uganda, has said.

Namukuza said addressing HIV among young people requires more than providing medical services, arguing that poverty, limited opportunities and other social challenges expose them to vulnerabilities.

“Giving them HIV information or information to keep them safe is not enough to allow them to thrive,” she said.

She was speaking during the launch of the Y+ Beauty Pageant campaign organised by the Uganda Network of Young People Living with HIV/AIDS (UNYPA) and partners at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Friday.

On Friday, UNYPA launched the Y+ beauty pageant end HIV-related stigma and discrimination and empower young people living with HIV to lead healthy, productive lives and influence decisions affecting their health and rights.

The one month campaign will feature regional activities in Jinja, Arua, Bushenyi and Kampala from November 9 to 25. Eighteen contestants are expected to attend a boot camp from December 3 to 7 before the grand finale at Hotel Africana on December 8. The campaign is running under the theme Integration for Sustainability.

Namukuza said integrated programming was essential because young people’s needs extend beyond healthcare to education, economic empowerment and social wellbeing.

She called for collaboration among stakeholders to provide comprehensive services, including medical, legal and economic support.

Mary Rio Babirye, UNYPA executive director, said the pageant was not merely a beauty contest but a platform to build confidence and equip young people to fight HIV-related stigma.

“Y+ beauty pageant campaign isn’t a beauty contest, it’s a campaign to engage and build confidence of young people living with HIV to fight stigma and discrimination,” said Mary Rio Babirye, ED UNYPA

According to the Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) 2025 survey, young people aged 15-24 account for 38% of new HIV infections, with young women representing approximately 77% of infections in this age group.

The report estimates that about 13,000 young people in this age bracket acquire HIV annually, including approximately 10,000 young women. The figures, accord to experts show that young people, particularly young women, remain disproportionately affected by HIV in Uganda, despite government efforts to end the epidemic out of the country by 2030.

Speaking at the launch, Dr Dan Byamukama from the Uganda AIDS Commission said the pageant recognises leadership, courage, knowledge and advocacy among young people already living with HIV, rather than rewarding HIV infection.

He urged stakeholders to respect participants’ dignity and ensure informed consent before media exposure.

A representative of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands commended the initiative for its youth-led approach to tackling stigma and promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights.

However, young people raised concerns about discrimination in public-service recruitment, particularly in the army.

“If we look at the policies, they are not protecting us. We are living with HIV; it is not a disability,” said Hadad Nuwagaba, a young person living with HIV.

Y+ representative Nicolas Ochoko also cited stigma, limited awareness and confidentiality concerns as barriers to accessing integrated services.

The youth appealed to the government to review policies, particularly on recruitment to ensure that HIV status is not used as a basis for discrimination against qualified applicants.