The following are the national statistics of prevalence and incidence of HIV/AIDs by

Gender, Regions, Age, districts, education level, wealth quintile and transmission.

HIV prevalence has declined across socio-demographic sub groups and across the country. This
decline may be a result of falling new HIV infections. Furthermore, almost 60% of people living
with HIV (PLHIV) have Viral Load Suppression (VLS) which means that treatment programs
are successfully reaching the majority of the population with HIV. In spite of the progress that
has been made, the burden of HIV infection in the country is still unacceptably high. More
prevention, awareness, and treatment activities are needed for those 15-29 years. These results
call for concerted efforts from all stakeholders for scale up of evidence-based interventions for
sustainable HIV epidemic control.

The results of the 2016 Uganda Population HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) indicate that 6% of
adults aged 15-49 years in Uganda are living with HIV. Among children under age five, HIV
prevalence is 0.5%, while among those aged 5 – 14 years, it is also 0.5%. Adult HIV prevalence
was higher among women at 7.5% compared to 4.3% among men. It was also higher among
residents of urban areas (7.1%) compared to 5.5% in rural areas. The magnitude of HIV varied
considerably among the ten geographic regions in the survey, from a low of 2.8% in West-Nile
to 7.7% in South Western region. This is similar to the findings of the 2011 Uganda AIDS
Indicator Survey when Mid-Eastern showed the lowest, and Central 1 the highest estimated HIV
prevalence. Among adults, HIV prevalence is lowest in those 15-19 years. It is highest among
men aged 45 to 49, at 14.0%. Among women, HIV prevalence is highest in the age groups of 35
to 39 years and 45 to 49 years, at 12.9% and 12.8%, respectively.

"Over the last four years, a mistake was made to shift focus to treatment, rather than prevention,"
he said at a press conference in Kampala. "A big chunk of money is allocated to drugs." The
profile of HIV and Aids in Uganda is also changing. The most recent figures suggest that up to
65% of new HIV infections are now transmitted within marriage. The number of "discordant
couples", where one partner is HIV positive and the other negative, is also rising. This raises the
need for a whole new approach to prevention and treatment, which up until now has focused
largely on the ABC approach of promoting abstinence first and then fidelity and contraception.
"Discordant couples raise real challenges because you need to promote better testing, use of

1
condoms within marriage and also it means there is a huge need for couples to go into
counselling together, which is expensive," says Dr Elizabeth Namagala, senior medical officer
for HIV care and treatment at Uganda's health ministry.

According to the 2016 Uganda population HIV/Aids Impact Assessment (UPHIA) survey, the
adult HIV prevalence is higher among women at 7.5 per cent compared to 4.3 per cent among
men. The survey, which was conducted from August 2016 to March 2017 from 12,483
households states that it achieved very high participation rates of over 95 per cent for both
interviews and blood draws. “A total of 16,670 women and 12,354 men aged 15-64 years were
interviewed and tested for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B,” the report reads in part.

HIV prevalence is also highest among women in the age groups of 35 to 39 years and 45 to 49
years, at 12.9 per cent and 12.8 per cent respectively. The report also states that among women
and men, HIV prevalence declined from 8.3 per cent and 6.1 per cent in 2011 to 7.5 per cent and
4.3 per cent in 2016 respectively.

The results of the 2016 Uganda Population HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) indicate that the
current prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 – 49 years in Uganda is 6% (this means that 6%
of adults aged 15-49 years in Uganda are living with HIV). Among children under age five years,
HIV prevalence is 0.5%, while among those aged 5 – 14 years, it is also 0.5%. Based on the
survey results, the total number of adults and children of all ages living with HIV in Uganda is
estimated to be approximately 1.3 million. These results are based on the 2016 UPHIA, a
nationwide survey that was conducted to provide estimates of HIV incidence, HIV prevalence,
viral load suppression, syphilis, hepatitis B infection, and other important HIV/AIDS programme
indicators. Data were collected in all districts of the country from a sample of households that are
representative of the Ugandan population.

The survey was conducted from August 2016 to March 2017 from 12,483 households and
achieved very high participation rates of over 95% for both interviews and blood draws. A total
of 16,670 women and 12,354 men aged 15-64 years were interviewed and tested for HIV,
syphilis and hepatitis B. In addition, 10,345 children aged 0-14 years were tested, including
6,527 aged 0-4 years and 3,818 aged 5-14 yearsi. Adult HIV prevalence was higher among
women at 7.5% compared to 4.3% among men. It was also higher among residents of urban

2
areas (7.1%) compared to 5.5% in rural areas. The magnitude of HIV varied considerably among
the ten geographic regions in the survey, from a low of 2.8% in West-Nile; 3.4% in North East
region; 4.4% in East Central (or Busoga region); 4.8% in Mid-East region; 5.5% in Mid-West
region; 6.6% in Kampala; 7.4% in Central 2 (Greater Mubende, Luwero and Mukono); 7.6% in
Central 1 region (greater Masaka); to 7.7% in South Western region. This is similar to the
findings of the 2011 Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey (UAIS) when Mid-Eastern showed the
lowest, and Central 1 the highest estimated HIV prevalence.

ANNEX: WHO clinical staging of HIV disease in adults, adolescents and children
Adults and adolescents Children

Clinical stage 1

Asymptomatic Asymptomatic
Persistent generalized lymphadenopathy Persistent generalized lymphadenopathy

Clinical stage 2

Moderate unexplained weight loss (<10% of Unexplained persistent hepatosplenomegaly

presumed or measured body weight) Recurrent or chronic upper respiratory tract
Recurrent respiratory tract infections (sinusitis, infections (otitis media, otorrhoea, sinusitis,
tonsillitis, otitis media, pharyngitis) tonsillitis)
Herpes zoster Herpes zoster
Angular cheilitis Lineal gingival erythema
Recurrent oral ulceration Recurrent oral ulceration
Papular pruritic eruption Papular pruritic eruption
Fungal nail infections Fungal nail infections
Seborrhoeic dermatitis Extensive wart virus infection
Extensive molluscum contagiosum
Unexplained persistent parotid enlargement

Clinical stage 3

Unexplained severe weight loss (>10% of Unexplained moderate malnutritionb not

presumed or measured body weight) adequately responding to standard therapy

3
Adults and adolescents
Unexplained chronic diarrhoea for longer than 1 Unexplained persistent diarrhoea (14 days or
month
Unexplained persistent fever (intermittent or
constant for longer than 1 month)
Persistent oral candidiasis
Oral hairy leukoplakia
Pulmonary tuberculosis
Severe bacterial infections (such as pneumonia, Oral hairy leukoplakia
empyema, pyomyositis, bone or joint infection, Lymph node tuberculosis; pulmonary
meningitis, bacteraemia)
Acute necrotizing ulcerative stomatitis,
gingivitis or periodontitis
Unexplained anaemia (<8 g/dl), neutropaenia
9
(<0.5 × 10 /L) and/or chronic
thrombocytopaenia (<50 × 109/L)
Clinical stage 3
Clinical stage 4c
HIV wasting syndrome
Pneumocystis (jirovecii) pneumonia
Recurrent severe bacterial pneumonia
Chronic herpes simplex infection (orolabial,
genital or anorectal of more than one month in
duration or visceral at any site)
Oesophageal candidiasis (or candidiasis of
4
Children
more)
Unexplained persistent fever (above 37.5°C,
intermittent or constant, for longer than one 1
month)
Persistent oral candidiasis (after first six weeks
of life)
tuberculosis
Severe recurrent bacterial pneumonia
Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis or
periodontitis
Unexplained anaemia (<8 g/dL), neutropaenia
(<0.5 × 109/L) or chronic thrombocytopaenia
(<50 × 109/L)
Symptomatic lymphoid interstitial pneumonitis
Chronic HIV-associated lung disease,
including bronchiectasis
Unexplained severe wasting, stunting or severe
malnutritiond not responding to standard
therapy
Pneumocystis (jirovecii) pneumonia
Recurrent severe bacterial infections (such as
empyema, pyomyositis, bone or joint infection,
meningitis, but excluding pneumonia)
Adults and adolescents
trachea, bronchi or lungs)
Extrapulmonary tuberculosis
Kaposi sarcoma
Cytomegalovirus infection (retinitis or infection Oesophageal candidiasis (or candidiasis of
of other organs)
Central nervous system toxoplasmosis
HIV encephalopathy
Extrapulmonary cryptococcosis, including
meningitis
Disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial
infection
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Chronic cryptosporidiosis
Chronic isosporiasis
Disseminated mycosis (extrapulmonary
histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis)
Lymphoma (cerebral or B-cell non-Hodgkin)
Symptomatic HIV-associated nephropathy or
cardiomyopathy
Recurrent septicaemia (including
nontyphoidal Salmonella)
Invasive cervical carcinoma
Atypical disseminated leishmaniasis
5
Children
Chronic herpes simplex infection (orolabial or
cutaneous of more than 1 month's duration or
visceral at any site)
trachea, bronchi or lungs)
Extrapulmonary tuberculosis
Kaposi sarcoma
Cytomegalovirus infection (retinitis or
infection of other organs with onset at age
older than one month)
Central nervous system toxoplasmosis (after
the neonatal period)
HIV encephalopathy
Extrapulmonary cryptococcosis, including
meningitis
Disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial
infection
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Chronic cryptosporidiosis (with diarrhoea)
Chronic isosporiasis
Disseminated endemic mycosis
(extrapulmonary histoplasmosis,
coccidioidomycosis, penicilliosis)
Cerebral or B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma
HIV-associated nephropathy or
cardiomyopathy
REFERENCES

UNAIDS 'AIDSinfo' (accessed October 2018)

WHO/Uganda Ministry of Health (2017) „The Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact

Assessment 2016-17‟ [pdf]