condom use campaign to be launched soon

The National AIDS Control Commission (CNLS) will in December embark on a three-month national condom use awareness campaign. This was announced tuesday in a meeting held at CNLS offices which had brought together different health workers from institutions in both the private and public sector. The meeting was aimed at discussing the role that can be played by the private sector to get on board of the national efforts to fight the AIDS/HIV pandemic. “We established that many people especially in the private sector don’t have access to condoms which increases the risk of HIV infections in the country,” Dr. Anita Asiimwe the CNLS Executive Secretary. She said that people in the private sector don’t get time to go to public stores where condoms can be found because of their usually tight schedule. “Condoms have been placed in hideouts which makes it difficult for some people to access them…we need to put them on display where people can see them,” said Asiimwe. She said putting condoms in toilets is ineffective as it further deepens stigma. “This mentality of concluding that whoever picks a condom is committing adultery should stop.” Asiimwe also announced that CNLS will introduce condom dispensing machines in most work places for people to access them easily. Dr Jean Pierre Kabarega of Bralirwa said that all private firms can devise a plan of treating and preventing HIV/AIDS among their employees as part of safety at work. Kabarega said that institutions or companies loose a lot when they don’t care for the people living with HIV/AIDS yet they can still be very productive. Meanwhile, it was also established during the meeting that that people with private clinics acquire condoms expensively from the Population Services International (PSI), claims that were dismissed by Asiimwe. Ends