Ugandan invents HIV/AIDs App
KAMPALA – A Ugandan Charles Brown, a native has developed a new App that will help ease communication, care, and treatment among patients living with HIV in Uganda.
Dubbed ‘Prep Mobile App’ Brown explained that the innovation is aimed at providing information to the public about places or facilities which offer Prep services, remind the person on when to collect their drugs as well as when to swallow the drugs.
He said that the new mobile App can be downloaded on google play store free of charge.Cue.Prep.Eng&Lug.
The development comes at the time Uganda is slated to join the global community in celebrating World AIDS Day on 1st December 2019 under the theme; ‘Communities make the difference.
The theme was chosen in recognition of the important leadership and advocacy done by communities to ensure that the response remains relevant and grounded with Uganda set to put emphasis on; ‘Engaging Young People to champion the end of new HIV infections.’
The Uganda Aids Commission said the focus on young people is because they comprise majority of the Ugandan population and that this group e 15-24years are responsible for 34% of new HIV infections annually.
The national commemoration for World AIDS Day will be held in Kayunga District with the district having been chosen due to high HIV prevalence currently at 7.3%, high presence of most at risk populations including the Fisher-folks and migrant workers, as well as high teenage pregnancy currently at 24%.
Information from UNAIDs shows that in 2018, an estimated 1.4 million people were living with HIV, and an estimated 23,000 Ugandans died of AIDS-related illnesses. As of 2018, the estimated HIV prevalence among adults (aged 15 to 49) stood at 5.7%. As of 2018 around 27% of adults living with HIV and 33% of children living with HIV were still not on treatment.
The global body highlighted that staying on treatment is difficult for certain groups particular, young people aged 15–19 in Uganda are more likely to drop out of HIV care, both before and after starting antiretroviral treatment, than are those aged 10–14 years or those older than 20 years. Studies suggest that stigma, discrimination and disclosure issues, as well as travel and waiting times at clinics, are among the reasons.