AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is proud to announce the launch of its popular ‘STAY NEGATIVE’ and ‘Love Condoms’ Campaign in Uganda, on Thursday, August 6th.
The launch of this innovative free condom distribution campaign, HIV prevention messaging and stepped-up free HIV testing effort is part of AHF’s worldwide campaign kicking off this month in numerous countries around the globe. 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. Participants in the Uganda launch will include the Chief Guest the Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission, Dr. David Apuuli. Also joining in the event will be 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 expected to attract nearly 2,000 people for free, rapid HIV testing with 5,000 LOVE condoms expected to be distributed. As part of the event, one of three AHF/Uganda Cares STAY NEGATIVE billboards will be unveiled in Kampala, and a full page STAY NEGATIVE ad will appear in today’s ‘New Vision’ newspaper. Traditional Ugandan song and dance will flavor the event.
“We know that the time is now to refocus on condom distribution and HIV prevention in Uganda. New HIV cases are on the rise. We can stop HIV with cost-effective, common sense approaches and we are very pleased that the Uganda AIDS Commission has joined us in the campaign. Together we will renew HIV prevention in Uganda,” said Dr. Penninah “Penny” Iutung, AHF East/West Africa Bureau Chief. “We believe the positive and health affirming “Stay Negative” campaign combined with LOVE Condoms and free HIV testing is the combination that can work.”
“As global funding is quickly shrinking for long term HIV/AIDS treatment it is imperative that we re-energize innovative and effective marketing and prevention campaigns,” said Terri Ford, Senior Global Policy Director 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’s 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 bring new infections down drastically in Uganda. We face a huge challenge but 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. “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/‘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 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 WHO 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.getfreecondoms.org and www.tenmilliontests.com.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the US’ largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 100,000 individuals in 21 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and the Asia Pacific Region.
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