AHF/Uganda Cares’ Tests Nearly 2,000 People at Launch of ‘Stay Negative’ and ‘LOVE Condoms’ Campaign in Kampala

As Part of Uganda’s Successful Campaign Kickoff Held at Pan-African Freedom Square in Kampala, AHF/Uganda Cares Provided 1,976 Free Rapid HIV Tests, Identifying 94 HIV Positive Individuals Who Were Counseled and Linked to Care and Treatment

By: AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Los Angeles, CA - August 7, 2009

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), is proud to announce the successful launch of its popular ‘STAY NEGATIVE’ and Love Condoms Campaign in Uganda on Thursday, August 6th. This innovative free condom distribution campaign, HIV prevention messaging and stepped-up free HIV testing effort is part of AHF’s worldwide ‘LOVE Condoms’ and ‘Stay Negative’ campaign kicking off this month in numerous countries around the globe. As part of the launch in Uganda, AHF Uganda Cares provided nearly 2,000 free rapid HIV tests in Pan African Freedom Square in Kampala, identifying 94 HIV positive individuals, who were counseled and linked to care and treatment opportunities in Uganda.

Participants in the Uganda launch included the Chief Guest the Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission, Dr. David Apuuli. Also joining in the event were officials from the Ministry of Health, the Executive Director of the Pan African Movement, community leaders, youth and AHF clients. The high energy event is attracted nearly 2,000 people for free, rapid HIV testing, with 5,000 LOVE condoms distributed to the crowd. As part of the event, one of three AHF/Uganda Cares STAY NEGATIVE billboards was unveiled in Kampala, and a full page STAY NEGATIVE ad will appeared in Thursday’s ‘New Vision’ newspaper. Traditional Ugandan song and dance added flavor to the event.

The various worldwide launches come on the heels of AHF’s recent, successful launches of the LOVE Condoms/STAY NEGATIVE campaign in Swaziland, India and South Africa, where the groundbreaking HIV prevention and awareness campaign was well received by the target audience—the public—as well as local and national media.

“We had a great launch of our ‘STAY NEGATIVE’ and ‘LOVE Condoms’ campaign here in Kampala yesterday. The event generated tremendous interest from the media, resulting in a significant amount of press coverage. More importantly, AHF/Uganda Cares provided 1,976 free rapid HIV tests at the event in Pan African Freedom Square—our highest number yet for a single day testing event. In the process, we identified 94 positive individuals, each of whom was counseled and linked to care and treatment,” said Dr. Penninah ‘Penny’ Iutung, AHF East/West Africa Bureau Chief. “We know that the time is now to refocus on condom distribution and HIV prevention throughout Uganda. We believe the positive and health affirming ‘STAY NEGATIVE’ campaign combined with ‘LOVE Condoms’ and free HIV testing is a combination that can work. New HIV cases are on the rise. We can stop HIV with cost-effective, common-sense approaches, and we are pleased that the Uganda AIDS Commission has joined us in this campaign. Together we will renew and reinvigorate HIV prevention in Uganda.”

“As global funding for long term HIV/AIDS treatment continues to shrink, it is imperative that we re-energize innovative and effective marketing and HIV prevention campaigns” said Terri Ford, Senior Director of Global Policy for AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Kampala for the launch. “This is a preventable disease. The introduction of the ‘LOVE Condoms’ campaign offers us a new beginning toward restoring the condom to its critical place at the front-line of effective global AIDS prevention and control. A condom saves a life—it is the most cost-effective weapon we have to stop HIV/AIDS”.

“We brought HIV rates in Uganda down from 30% to 6%—we have done it before and we can do it again,” said Dr. Bernard Okongo, AHF’s Chief of Medicine/Africa. “We cannot sit back and watch rates continue to rise. Condoms, community testing and universal access to antiretroviral treatment will help bring new infections down drastically in Uganda. We face a huge challenge, but working together we can reverse the very disturbing rise in new infections.”

“It is positive to be negative, and we have to get that important message out”, said Dr. Kate Ssamula, AHF/Uganda Cares’ Testing and Prevention Campaign Coordinator, who oversaw the testing event in Kampala. “We think our “STAY NEGATIVE’ campaign is a great start. The ‘LOVE Condoms’ campaign that we are now launching features AHF’s own specially-branded ‘LOVE Condoms’—eye catching, bright red foil condom packets with the word ‘LOVE’ printed on the wrapper. We give three out with every free HIV test we offer as well as through special outreaches and custom dispensers throughout Kampala.”

“If you had the choice of taking a plain, white, date-stamped condom or a shiny, red LOVE Condom wrapper—which would you take? Our ‘Stay Negative’ and ‘LOVE Condoms’ campaign is just the beginning of a worldwide movement that can take safer sex efforts to new levels,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “It is my sincere hope that this innovative worldwide campaign serves as a catalyst for renewed creativity and determination in local and global HIV prevention efforts.”

About The STAY NEGATIVE /‘Love Condoms’ Campaign

This ‘Stay Negative’ campaign is aimed at making it positive to be negative by encouraging people to protect themselves and their partners. The Campaign theme is “LOVE YOURSELF—LOVE YOUR PARTNER—LOVE CONDOMS”. The campaign brings public/private partnerships together to address access to free condoms and to complement ongoing social marketing and free government condom distribution programs. The STAY NEGATIVE messages combine popular musicians, community leaders and youth representatives saying that they ‘Get Tested, Stay Healthy and Stay Negative.’

The LOVE Condom Campaign’s goal is to scale-up global support for renewed condom usage by distributing TEN MILLION W.H.O. approved, high-quality condoms FREE of charge to any individual, non-governmental or government agency that makes a commitment to support the campaign’s aim of achieving 100% access to free condoms worldwide. To achieve ‘Global AIDS Control’ an aggressive re-integration of condoms is critical component.

Why are Condoms So Important for Global HIV and STD Control?

If global AIDS control is defined as an absolute reduction in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world, condoms are the key to successfully achieving that goal. Access to lifesaving antiretroviral treatment has played a crucial role in bringing hope to millions and in also motivating masses of people to be tested. The huge success of the 2008 World AIDS Day ‘1 Million Tests campaign’—during which men, women and children lined up across the globe to be tested—demonstrates that people want to know their HIV status.

The simple formula for global AIDS control involves identifying those who are undiagnosed and linking them to treatment, which will render them significantly less infectious. We must promote the simplest, most cost-effective method for preventing the sexual transmission of HIV: condoms.

Condoms are cheap and are relatively easy to use. They are almost 100% effective when used correctly. Various societies have had success in bringing about higher acceptance of condom use. Many studies show that most people who know they are positive want to protect their partners. Lack of availability of condoms, generic packaging and retail cost are significant factors in failure to use condoms.

Combined efforts that include encouraging the widespread use of condoms, rapid testing and universal access to antiretroviral treatment will bring new infections down drastically.

To learn more about the LOVE Condom and Ten Million Tests campaigns, visit www.lovecondoms.org and www.tenmilliontests.com.