By Williams Moi in Soroti. 7th September 2007
The National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda has disclosed that DANIDA through the Danish Council of Disabled Peoples Organizations has injected 1.4 billion shillings into the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Addressing a - three - day workshop for Persons with Disability (PWDs), organized by TASO – Uganda with financial support from NUDIPU in Soroti District at People’s Guest House from 5 – 9 September, Mwesigwa Martin Babu, the HIV/AIDS Project Coordinator of NUDIPU, the Umbrella Organization for PWDs in Uganda said that more of such trainings were in the offing.
The money is to be used in trainings of PWDs in HIV related knowledge and skills, development of IEC materials, supporting various national Disabled Peoples Organizations among others.
Mwesigwa added that government should increase funding for PWDs in mainstream development programmes – especially Community Based Rehabilitation initiatives; support special needs schools and promote alternative information dissemination for PWDs in accessible formats, such as Braille and promotion of sign language as one of the mediums of communication in Uganda .
The Project Coordinator reiterated that people should desist from negative attitudes countrywide which he described as ‘terrible stigma’ affecting the inclusion of PWDs in mainstream development programmes all the time.
He also decried the perception by members of the community and most HIV/AIDS service providers, that PWDs were not useful and that they were very expensive, which was wrong and needed to change.
The Coordinator called upon the Government of Uganda to support and encourage positive actions in promoting inclusion of disability issues in national development programmes, especially in planning and allocation of resources.
Mwesigwa had hopes that the project which is to last three years (2006 -2009) would eventually develop best practices and experience in the fight against AIDS.
He advised all national HIV/AIDS service providers and stakeholders to always include disability in their programmes and budgets.
Mwesigwa commended DANIDA through the Danish Council of Organizations of Disabled People (DSI – Uganda ) for their support to the disability fraternity in Uganda .
The project called - The promotion of a Disability perspective into Uganda ’s HIV/AIDS Response, is piloted in Gulu, Masaka and Soroti districts.
“Our main objective is to empower the disability fraternity with skills, knowledge and to increase access to HIV/AIDS services by PWDs on one hand, and also sensitize national HIV/AIDS providers on how to include disability in their programmes”, Mwesigwa added.
He also said that although Uganda had been cited as the most successful country in Sub Saharan Africa in combating HIV/AIDS pandemic, there was strong evidence that PWDs were most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS scourge than any other Ugandan.
On the other hand, Jonas Ingeman Parby, the Project Consultant DSI, said that ‘Low levels of HIV/AIDS awareness, high poverty levels, low education, sexual abuse; including rape and harassment, greatly affect PWDs, especially the disabled women if not jointly combated by all HIV/AIDS service providers in Uganda.’
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