By Edward Byamukama
Baylor Uganda has launched the GC7 project in Kagadi district to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS among adolescents through economic empowerment and skilling programs.
The launch was held on Wednesday at Kagadi community hall in Kagadi town council Kagadi district.
Douglas Ssemambo, the Data Assistant officer for GC7 project at Baylor Uganda in Kagadi district says the program will extend their services in the sub-counties of Paacwa, Kyakabadiima, Kyaterekera, Kagadi, Ruteete, Kiryanga, Kyabasara among others.
He says the project targets to reduce HIV infection rates among the young girls aged between 10-24 years who dropped out of school.
Ssemambo adds that the target population is vulnerable to HIV infection because they are incapacitated to provide for themselves basic needs, asserting that their vulnerability exposes them to men who infect them with HIV.
He adds that the skilling program for adolescents will begin in November and the program facilitators have been recruited and trained.
The Kagadi district health educator Justine Aisha Tumwebaze says the HIV Prevalence rate among the youth of 15-24 years is high attributing it to high school dropout rates, poverty and unemployment.
She says the majority of underage girls who are school dropouts are working in bars as commercial sex workers which has increased the HIV prevalence rates among the youth in the district.
