Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights-SRHR experts in Uganda have expressed concern over LGBTQIA+ people shunning health facilities in the wake of Uganda’s new anti-homosexuality act-AHA 2023.
Across the country, the plight of the sexual minorities has escalated due to increasing threats like discrimination faced while seeking HIV care and other health services both in public and private facilities. This is on top of other predicament like arrests by police, attacks by community members, hateful speech by most politicians and religious leaders, and other incidents that have not been properly addressed by authorities to ensure justice for the victims.
Dr. Justus Ampaire, SRHR expert doubling as the proprietor St. Augustine Community Health Centre in Mbarara city western Uganda has disclosed that LGBTQIA+ clients no longer come to seek services since May 2023 when the AHA 2023 was signed by President Museveni. On April 3, 2024, the constitutional court declined to annul AHA 2023,in a petition by human rights organizations and activists.
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“They used to come before this law was passed, but now no one knows where they are. The fact is that they are dying. Even the medical workers who are offering services to some groups are being harassed. Both journalists and medical workers should be on the frontline,” Dr. Justus explains.
“If the government of Uganda or health ministry issued a statement or circular condemning the harassments, who is following up to ensure enforcement? That is a mere document. Victims are dying. Most of them have shunned hospitals. So, where are they? Who is looking for them to assist them?” he added.
Three of the five victims who spoke to Rise News Uganda have already escaped to the capital Kampala following attacks on their shelters in the upcountry side. They decried police harassment and exorbitant charges by medical workers who accept to offer them services.
HOW DOES THE AHA 2023 UNDERMINE THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS? The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS-UNAIDS in 2020 set the 95-95-95 targets aiming that by 2025, 95% of all people will know their HIV status, 95% with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained Antiretroviral Therapy-ART, and 95% of all people receiving ART will have Viral Load Suppression-VLS.
At Mbarara regional referral hospital, a government health facility serving over 4 million people including key populations from western Uganda, there are evident cases of discrimination against suspected LGBTQIA+ people seeking different HIV services. Authorities at the facility declined to comment on the matter saying they would comment after confirming these claims.
Adjacent to the referral hospital is the AID Support Organization-TASO western Uganda centre, where authorities have confirmed that the passage of Uganda anti-homosexuality act 2023 has caused a decline in the number of LGBTQIA+ clients seeking HIV services.
The facility serves at least 6,350 clients per month, including over 20 LGBTQIA+ people. Since the passage of the act, LGBTQIA+ clients have declined by over a half.
“The AHA 2023 has caused a decline in LGBTQIA+ clients. Some were scared, became lost and started missing their drugs. When it comes to service delivery at facilities, hospitals or private clinics, it should stay neutral. We are not here to judge as health workers; our work is to give services. Whoever you are when you come in to the facility…equal services, equal rights for every person whether you are transgender or LGBTQ, equal services for everyone because that’s what we are supposed to do,” Dr. Rosemary Ayebazibwe, the TASO Mbarara regional facility medical services technical lead told Rise News Uganda recently.
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Mbarara district is among the hotspots with high HIV prevalence rate out of the 146 districts in Uganda, following 1789 new HIV infections registered across the districts in the last three years, making it the second in having the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the country. The first one is Fort Portal city, and both hotspots are among the areas where LGBTQIA+ people and other key populations are facing serious threats.
Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) statistics also confirm that Uganda registered over 52000 new HIV infections in 2023. Chris Nahabwe, the Mbarara district HIV/AIDS focal person says most of the new infections were registered in teenage females and older men.
SIMILAR PLIGHT ACROSS AFRICA: Commenting on the recently passed anti-homosexuality bill in Ghana, the UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima said: “If Human Sexual rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill becomes a law, it will exacerbate fear and hatred, could incite violence against fellow Ghanaian citizens, and will negatively impact on free speech, freedom of movement and freedom of association.”
She added that it would “obstruct access to life-saving services” and “jeopardize Ghana’s development success”.
RELATED STORY – BURUNDI’S PRESIDENT EVARISTE NDAYISHIMIYE SAYS LGBTQIA+ PEOPLE SHOULD BE PUBLICLY STONED
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