By Melanie Nathan, May 22, 2023
Since passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in March 2023, otherwise known as the Kill the Gays Bill, an Ugandan health care organization is reporting that the number of HIV drug defaulters has drastically increased.
The organization, COSF, notes that new infections are high and the goal to end HIV by 2030 is now much further from being attained. The organization is imploring on President Museveni not to sign the Bill and for the Parliamentarians to KILL THE BILL upon its return to Parliament. Passage of the Bill in March has caused mass panic among the LGBTI community. The Ugandan Government issued a witch hunt against organizations, shutting them down and creating a list of those they intended to target.
Many LGBTI human rights defenders and health care educators and workers have gone into hiding, wit some fleeing the country.
It is no wonder when the government trumps up charges against people such as the 6 peer educators, who provided awareness education through an organization, for LGBTI people in the health care realm. They were arrested in march and have been held in detention for over 3 months without bail or trial. The charges are contrived.
Just yesterday their case for bail was again postponed because the magistrate was absent. Each time the case has been postponed the minimal available resources are further decreased. All six have been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, forced anal exams, and torture.
Under these circumstances all LGBT, human rights defenders and health care workers are being driven under ground. HENCE the Kill the Gays Bill will kill any chance for the eradication of HIV by 2023.
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