Updated at 1803 EAT on FEB 11th 2022

The Ministry of Health has reported a general decline in the prevalence of HIV among the population as the fight against the scourge intensifies.  
Released yesterday in Kampala by the Ministry, the 2020 Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) report, indicates that the prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 to 49 years declined from 6 percent in 2016 to 5.5 percent as of 2020.

• Dr Ruth Aceng said the HIV burden is shifting to older individuals aged 50-54 and 60-64. According to the report, in older people aged 50 to 54, the prevalence was two times higher than the national average at 13.6 percent.
• The 2020 Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) report, indicates that the prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 to 49 years declined from 6 percent in 2016 to 5.5 percent as of 2020

The report also indicates that there is a decline in prevalence of the disease among females, from 7.5 percent in 2016 to 7.1 percent in 2020, while in males it declined from 4.3 percent to 3.8 percent.
Although there was a general decline, a significant variation in prevalence of the virus was registered in the Ministry’s 11 geographical regions, with greater Masaka having the highest at 8.1 percent while Karamoja had the least at prevalence at 2.1 percent.

Five out of the 11 regions had prevalence above the overall national average. These include central 1 (greater Masaka), mid north (Lango), Kampala, south western region, and central 2 (Mubende, Luweero and Mukono).
Compared to figures of UPHIA 2016, Greater Masaka and mid north (Lango) also registered slight increases in HIV prevalence from 8.0 to 8.1 percent and from 7.2 to 7.6 percent, respectively, according to the UPHIA 2020 report.
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health minister, told journalists in Kampala that the survey was conducted between February 2020 and February 2021 with the aim of understanding the real burden of the disease for better planning