Namirembe, Lake Victoria, Uganda, 15th September 2011
Source: Features TV / Restrictions: None
Duration: 2´40”
UGANDA WAS ONCE HAILED INTERNATIONALLY FOR ITS EFFORTS TO CUT HIV PREVALENCE IN THE COUNTRY. BUT ONCE AGAIN INFECTION RATES ARE SOARING IN REMOTE FISHING COMMUNITIES AND AUTHORITIES SAY THEY DON´T HAVE ADEQUATE RESOURCES TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM.
The shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda where HIV infection rates are soaring once again.
15% of people in this remote village are living with HIV/AIDS, this is compared to just 6% nationally – and the numbers are increasing all the time.
Anthony Seskamanya was diagnosed as HIV positive 5 years ago.
But he struggles to find treatment.
Drugs for HIV/AIDS in Uganda are free, but authorities are struggling to keep up with increasing infection rates in fishing communities like this and often the drugs just run out.
SOUNDBITE 1, ANTHONY SESKAMANYA, Fisherman (Luganda, 18 secs): “When I tested positive of HIV, I was advised to start living on antiretroviral drugs regularly but I often run out of them. I try to search for the drugs in different health centers in neighboring villages but I still fail”
Despite being one of the most at risk groups in Uganda, the fishing community of Namirembe has no health centre of its own.
Residents are forced to walk for miles in the search of anti-retroviral drugs, but many are simply too ill to be able to do so.
SOUNDBITE 2, GRACE NALWADDA, Villager (Luganda, 14 secs): “The health centre is far from us, you can walk for hours. Sometimes your health condition could be so bad and by the time you reach the health centre, it is worse.”
The Government says its doing what it can with the resources available.
SOUNDBITE 3, Dr STUART MUSISI, District director of health services, Masaka- Central Uganda (English, 21 secs): “The funds that are available right now cannot allow to construct a new facility. We are looking at strengthening the existing facilities giving them the necessary equipment, making sure that they have the drugs and so on before we construct more facilities.”
But NGOs say it´s not just about medicine.
They want the fishing communities of central Uganda to be better educated about the dangers of unprotected sex.
SOUNDBITE 4, ROBERT KANWAGI, Associate Director for HIV/AIDS at World Vision Uganda (English, 19 secs): “If we can do studies that help us understand the population so that we can design appropriate responses that fit that particular population that will be very good. The other thing we need to do is to create a peer network within the fishing community or within the high-risk groups so that they can reach these very high risky groups.”
Back in the 1990s Uganda was hailed internationally for managing to cut HIV prevalence in the country.
But with infection rates in some areas creeping up once again, more effort is needed to ensure this generation and the next is less exposed.
Shotlist:
-various if fishermen
-various of village
-set-up of Anthony Seskamanya
-SOUNDBITE 1
-more of village
-SOUNDBITE 2
-set-up of Dr Stuart Musisi
-SOUNDBITE 3
-more various of village
-SOUNDBITE 4
-various close-ups of villagers and children
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