By Spy Uganda
Fort Portal City will host this year’s national International Condom Day celebrations amid growing concern over its HIV burden, the highest in the country at 14 percent, according to the 2025 national HIV estimates.
Health officials say the event, scheduled for February 13 at Muchwa Grounds, is both symbolic and strategic, placing the spotlight on a city where HIV prevalence is nearly three times the national average of 4.9 percent.
“Out of every 100 people in Fort Portal, about 12 are infected with HIV. When you compare that with the national average of about four in every 100, it shows why this area requires urgent attention,” said Boniface Epoku, a programme officer at the Ministry of Health.
Why Fort Portal?
Officials attribute Fort Portal’s elevated rates to a mix of social and economic factors. The city’s vibrant tourism industry increases population movement and social interaction, while certain cultural beliefs in the Toro sub-region continue to influence sexual behaviour.
Epoku pointed to perceptions that condom use reduces sexual pleasure and longstanding beliefs that discourage women from rejecting male sexual advances.
Despite these challenges, health authorities say prevention tools are working where they are embraced.
“We have been able to attribute about 49 percent of HIV infections averted to condom use, and condoms contribute about 59 percent in preventing sexually transmitted infections,” Epoku said.
The government has allocated Shs1 billion for condom procurement and distribution, part of a broader effort to cut new infections and achieve the national target of ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
Uganda has made measurable gains in reducing HIV infections over the past decade. According to the Uganda AIDS Commission, new infections have declined by about 61 percent since 2010 through prevention strategies built around abstinence, faithfulness and condom use.
However, condom uptake remains low. A recent survey shows that only 17 percent of Ugandans reported using a condom during their last sexual encounter, compared to 67 percent in Kenya and 47 percent in Tanzania.
Charles Otai, a monitoring and evaluation officer at the Uganda AIDS Commission, said increasing condom use is now central to reversing new infection trends.
At the community level, resistance remains a barrier. Bwire Henry, a Kampala Capital City Authority official and condom champion for Kawempe Division, said religious and cultural beliefs continue to limit acceptance in some areas.
“Kawempe is predominantly Muslim, and it is hard for information to penetrate. Many do not accept condom use,” he said, adding that distribution points have been set up in identified hotspots, though safe disposal of used condoms remains a challenge.
Health Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyona also called for improved disposal mechanisms to protect the environment.
Health Ministry Director General of Health Services Dr Charles Olaro reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining prevention programmes and ensuring a steady supply of condoms nationwide.
“The Government has committed financing, and we are working with partners to ensure condoms are available,” Olaro said, urging young people to take greater responsibility for their health.
He stressed that free government-provided condoms are safe and effective, dismissing misconceptions that often discourage their use.
The International Condom Day event is being organised in partnership with the Toro Kingdom and will draw officials from the Ministry of Health, Uganda AIDS Commission, AHF Uganda Cares, Kampala Capital City Authority, civil society organisations and development partners.
Nationally, an estimated 1,527,238 Ugandans were living with HIV as of 2024, with 37,000 new infections recorded that year. Women aged 15 to 49 remain disproportionately affected, with a prevalence rate of 6.4 percent compared to 3.4 percent among men.
HIV prevalence varies across regions, from 7.7 percent in central Uganda to 2.3 percent in West Nile. Other urban areas such as Kyotera at 12.6 percent, Gulu City at 7.5 percent and Wakiso at 7.1 percent also report higher than average rates.
As Fort Portal prepares to host national celebrations promoting condom use, health officials say the choice of venue underscores a clear message. Ending HIV will require not only national progress, but targeted action in the districts and cities where the epidemic remains most severe.
