AHF Uganda Cares has partnered with the Ministry of Health and the Kingdom of Toro to commemorate this year’s International Condom Day in Fort Portal City, a move driven by growing concern over rising HIV infections in the area, particularly among adolescent girls and young women.
Fort Portal currently has an HIV prevalence rate of 17.3 percent, significantly higher than the national average of 5 percent.
According to Trevor Emojil, Country Youth Coordinator at AHF Uganda Cares, the city is among the hardest hit in the country, with young people at the centre of new infections. Nationally, Uganda recorded about 38,000 new HIV infections, of which approximately 15,000 were among young people.
Martha Mbabazi Atai, Prevention Programme and Advocacy Coordinator at AHF Uganda Cares, said the choice of Fort Portal was informed by the urgent need to step up prevention efforts. She noted that condoms remain one of the most effective and affordable tools in preventing HIV, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia, as well as unintended pregnancies.
“Big problems do not necessarily require big solutions,” said Haruna Semuwemba, Prevention Programme Manager at AHF Uganda Cares, emphasising that a condom, which costs about Shs2,000 in shops and is often distributed free of charge, can prevent lifelong treatment costs and unplanned pregnancies.
AHF Uganda Cares, between 2018 and 2024, distributed 53 million condoms across Uganda through more than 70 supported health facilities. In 2025 alone, AHF projects distributing up to five million condoms to help bridge gaps in Ministry of Health supplies as the country works toward ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
However, challenges remain. Data shows that only 59 percent of men aged 15 to 49 use condoms consistently, while usage among young people aged 15 to 24 stands between 25 and 30 percent.
Emojil cited complacency, cultural norms, early marriages, and transactional sex in the tourism-driven city as key drivers of infection. By working with the Toro Kingdom, AHF Uganda Cares hopes to leverage cultural leadership structures to promote safer sexual behaviour, expand last-mile condom distribution, and intensify youth-focused awareness campaigns.