KAMPALA, Uganda — Nearly three in every four young people newly infected with HIV in Uganda are female, exposing the disproportionate burden of the epidemic on adolescent girls and young women despite progress in treatment and prevention.
Figures presented by the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) show that the country recorded approximately 34,400 new HIV infections in 2025. Young people aged 15 to 24 accounted for about 38 per cent of the total, translating to approximately 13,000 infections.
Of these, nearly 10,000 were among young women, representing about 77 per cent of new infections in the age group.
The figures were presented at a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on Tuesday, November 3, as officials outlined the country’s progress and remaining challenges ahead of the 2026 National HIV and AIDS Symposium.
The statistics highlight a persistent gender gap in HIV transmission, with young women continuing to face a substantially higher risk of infection than their male counterparts.
Women and young people remain disproportionately affected
Uganda’s HIV epidemic remains concentrated among several population groups, including women, young people, urban communities and key populations such as sex workers, fisherfolk and truck drivers.
The Uganda AIDS Commission has identified multiple sexual partnerships, low condom use during high-risk sexual activity and sexual violence among factors undermining efforts to reduce new infections.
The figures also point to the need for prevention programmes that address the social and economic circumstances exposing adolescent girls and young women to HIV, alongside access to testing, treatment and sexual health information.
Geographical disparities remain significant. Programme estimates presented by officials identified Fort Portal City as having the highest HIV prevalence at 16.7 per cent, followed by Kalangala at 12.1 per cent and Kabarole at 10.7 per cent.
At regional level, the 2025 Uganda Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) recorded the highest prevalence in South Western Uganda at 8 per cent, while Karamoja had the lowest at 1.3 per cent. West Nile recorded 1.4 per cent.
The district and city figures are programme estimates, while the regional figures come from the population-based survey.
Uganda records progress in HIV treatment and prevention
Despite the continued burden, Uganda has made substantial progress in reducing the impact of HIV since 2010.
According to figures presented by the Commission, new infections have declined by 64 per cent over the period, while AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 66 per cent to approximately 19,000 in 2025.
Mother-to-child transmission has also dropped by 78 per cent, although an estimated 4,400 children acquired HIV during the year.
The preliminary findings of UPHIA 2025 put HIV prevalence among Ugandans aged 15 and above at 5.9 per cent, equivalent to approximately 1.496 million adults living with the virus.
When children aged below 15 are included, the total number of people living with HIV is estimated at approximately 1.57 million.
The survey also found that HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 to 49 was 5.5 per cent, with women recording 7.1 per cent compared with 3.5 per cent among men.
Progress in treatment has been encouraging. Among adults living with HIV, 85.3 per cent know their status. Of those who have been diagnosed, 99.1 per cent are receiving antiretroviral treatment, while 96.5 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression.
Viral suppression means that treatment has reduced the amount of HIV in a person’s blood to very low levels. People who maintain an undetectable viral load do not transmit HIV through sex.
However, the progress has not been uniform across age groups.
Children remain a major gap in the HIV response
The Commission has raised concern over gaps in testing and treatment among children living with HIV.
Only 71 per cent of children living with the virus have been diagnosed, while 88 per cent of those receiving treatment have achieved viral suppression.
The figures compare with a viral suppression rate of 96.5 per cent among adults on treatment.
The Commission has linked some of the gaps to mothers acquiring HIV or dropping out of treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding, increasing the risk of transmission to their children.
The figures underscore the importance of ensuring that pregnant and breastfeeding women receive regular HIV testing, remain on treatment and access appropriate follow-up care.
Funding concerns put sustainability under scrutiny
The Uganda AIDS Commission has also warned that sustaining progress will require stronger domestic financing as external donor support comes under pressure.
The country has maintained essential HIV services despite disruptions to external funding, with officials crediting government leadership and coordination.
UAC Board Chairperson Canon Dr Ruth Senyonyi said the Commission had developed a roadmap to guide Uganda’s transition from dependence on donor funding towards greater domestic financing.
The issue will feature prominently at the 2026 National HIV and AIDS Symposium, which Senyonyi launched during the Kampala briefing.
The meeting is scheduled for November 16 to 18 at the Pharmacology Grounds of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), which is co-hosting the event for the second consecutive year.
It will be held under the theme “Sustainable Interventions to End AIDS as a Public Health Threat by 2030.”
Senyonyi said Uganda had made considerable progress since the early years of the epidemic, when HIV was widely associated with witchcraft and bad luck. However, continued infections among adolescent girls and young women showed that significant challenges remained.
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She said the symposium would bring together scientists, researchers, students and HIV programme implementers to examine gaps in the national response and identify practical interventions to accelerate progress towards the 2030 target.
More than 120 research abstracts are expected to be presented, while a financing dialogue will examine ways of securing sustainable resources for HIV prevention, treatment and care.
HIV cure research also on the agenda
The symposium will also provide a platform for discussions on scientific efforts to find a cure for HIV.
Senyonyi said a cure remained desirable because people living with HIV currently face the challenge of taking treatment throughout their lives.
She called for discussions on potential breakthroughs to consider social and ethical implications alongside scientific developments.
The event will also commemorate Philly Lutaaya Memorial Day, honouring the late Ugandan musician and other pioneers who challenged HIV-related stigma by publicly disclosing their status and encouraging others to seek support.
Uganda’s ambition is to reduce new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths by 90 per cent by 2030. However, the Commission has warned that the country risks missing the target unless the number of new infections falls significantly.
Members of the public can register to attend the symposium physically or online through the Uganda AIDS Commission’s registration platform at nhas.uac.go.ug.
