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Slim disease: the start of it all
Slim disease originates at Lake Victoria and spreads along Urban sexual networks and major highways. Uganda's HIV epidemic has begun. -
It's official
The first case of HIV was diagnosed and Slim disease was officially recognised. Many articles and journals published around this time. -
Yoweri Musevini
President Museveni comes to power, and through his commitment to tackling HIV, a prevention programme based around ‘being faithful’ is created. -
HIV Prevalance: 29%
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As easy as ABC...
An AIDS control programme is set up in 1987 based around education and the ABC approach (abstain, be faithful, use condoms). Small grass-roots organisations begin peer education initiatives. E.g. TASO (The AIDS Support Organization), which later became the largest indigenous AIDS service organisation providing emotional and medical support to thousands of people. -
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Love the ONE you're with
The number of Ugandan men reporting three or more non-marital sexual partners fell from 15 percent to 3 percent, another benefit of Uganda's strategy. -
HIV Prevalence: 15%
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Abstinence, Be Faithful, Use a Condom
The ABC approach is implemented. The population is mobilised in the fight against HIV through frank and honest discussions. Condoms are heavily promoted and distributed and usage of them rises. -
Too little, too late?
Large amounts of government and international donor funding, e.g. the World Bank, allows prevention initiatives to thrive throughout the nineties. However, despite these efforts, AIDS-related deaths soar because treatment is not yet widely available. In 1995, 91 percent of Ugandan men and 86 percent of women knew someone who was HIV positive -
Taking its toll
In 2000 an estimated 800,000 Ugandans had died of AIDS-related illnesses since the epidemic began -
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The decline of sex education
Sex education and condom promotion are no longer as mainstream as they were in the nineties. This caused great criticism of Uganda's relationship with PEPFAR and the way their investment seems to have changed Uganda's strategy. -
HIV Prevalence: 5%
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Policy changes
Uganda launches its first PMTCT policy guidelines -
PEPFAR steps up
Abstinence until marriage controversially becomes the dominant strand of the ABC approach since 2003, following significant investment of money for abstinence-only programmes from PEPFAR. -
Anti-Retrovirals
Free antiretroviral drugs become available in 2004. South Africa criticsed American pharmaceuticals for their lack of flexibility in price during an epidemic. Bill Clinton announced the changes in 2000 but the changes took time to implement, finally helping Ugandans in 2004. -
A and B without the C
All condoms distributed free in health clinics are recalled in 2005 over reliability concerns. Condom use during sex with non-regular partners is 51 percent in 2005, much lower than hoped for and raised concern over Uganda's reliance on PEPFAR, and its utilisation of faith based NGOs. -
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A steady incline
Uganda's HIV prevalence rate has grown steadily, from 5% in 2006 to 7.2% today. After an impressive reduction of their HIV prevalence rate, a new strategy may be needed to remain 'on top' of the epidemic. Concern remains due to poor education, lack of condom promotion and a leader who no longer has anything to prove, having been in power for the entirity of this timeline. -
HIV Prevalence: 7.2%