The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | HIV transmission from mothers to their babies during childbirth and breastfeeding remains a challenge in Uganda, despite years of progress in reducing new infections.
New estimates released by UNICEF show that thousands of Ugandan children continue to contract HIV from their mothers, even though proven prevention and treatment methods exist.
After analysing the data, officials at the Ministry of Health and UNAIDS warn that most infections in children happen at two critical stages: during delivery and through breastfeeding, when mothers lack proper care and support.
The Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV programme, which is commonly known as PMTCT, was ranked high for helping in the reduction of HIV infections in children born to Ugandan mothers.
Under the PMTCT programme, mothers who seek antenatal care are tested for HIV, enrolled on treatment and also followed up until they deliver to maintain their health and stop their infants from acquiring HIV. PMTCT services also include early infant diagnosis at four to six weeks after birth, testing at 18 months and when breastfeeding ends, as well as ART initiation for HIV-exposed infants.
Jotham Mubangizi, UNAIDS Uganda country director, described the country’s progress since 2010 as “very great,” with mother-to-child transmission reduced by 76 percent. Yet he cautioned that about 4700 children were still infected this way in 2024, showing that more work remains.
He pointed to persistent barriers, including stigma in communities, lack of family support, poor feeding practices, and transport challenges that prevent many expectant and breastfeeding mothers from accessing timely care.
Mubangizi called on the media and communities to amplify messages encouraging women to seek regular check-ups, adhere to treatment if HIV-positive, and follow proper feeding practices to protect their babies.
Dr Robert Mutumba, Programme Manager at the AIDS Control Programme, noted that some African countries, including Namibia and Botswana, are already on track to eliminate mother-to-child transmission, with infection rates falling below five percent.
Dr Mutumba added that Uganda is also moving in that direction, currently at about six percent, but needs to scale up what works in some areas to the entire country.
Uganda’s broader HIV burden among children and adolescents remains high. About 71,000 children under 14 are living with HIV, while another 153,500 older adolescents aged 15–19 are infected. An estimated range of 4700 to 5,400 new infections occurred among children under 14 in 2024, averaging around 15 a day.
AIDS-related deaths among children in Uganda also remain alarming, especially among the youngest. Last year alone, 2,700 children under four died of AIDS-related causes, making up 62 percent of all child AIDS deaths in the country. In total, 3,100 children under 14 and another 730 adolescents aged 15 to 19 died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2024.
New HIV infections among children under 14 have dropped by 62 percent since 2010, thanks to stronger prevention programs. But progress has been slower among adolescents, where infections have only declined by 44 percent in the same period.
UNICEF says the ongoing global funding crisis threatens to reverse progress, with millions of lives at risk. The agency warns that infections and deaths could rise again if investments continue to fall.
“Millions of lives are at stake,” UNICEF cautioned. “Without urgent investment, we risk undoing hard-won gains and leaving the most vulnerable even further behind.”
Globally, 712 children were infected with HIV every day in 2024, while 250 died daily from AIDS-related causes, largely in sub-Saharan Africa. The region accounted for 61 percent of all AIDS-related deaths worldwide, and adolescent girls and young women remain most at risk, with over 210,000 infections among girls aged 15–24 recorded last year, with an average of 570 new infections every day.
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