“Don’t scare us with that word!” a young mother exclaimed, clutching her 10-month-old child a little tighter as she turned away from a health worker. The ‘word’ was HIV. She had come for an integrated community outreach in Kanyanya, organized by Joy for Children Uganda under the BLOOM project, in partnership with Komamboga Health Centre and Kawempe Division, seeking health care for herself and her baby. In that moment, her reaction revealed a deeper truth shared by many: the lingering fear and stigma surrounding HIV, where even speaking about it feels like inviting it into one’s life.
To date, people living with HIV continue to face stigma, and fear of the virus runs deep, so deep that even when individuals notice possible symptoms, they avoid visiting health facilities. Unfortunately, such decisions have cost many their lives. HIV/AIDS-related stigma has caused countless individuals to ignore or deny their reality. Yet, knowing your status remains one of the most important steps you can take for yourself and for your partner. For pregnant women, the stakes are even higher, as they risk not only their own health but also that of their unborn child.
According to the 2024 UNAIDS fact sheet, approximately 40.8 million people were living with HIV. Of these, 1.4 million were children aged 0–14, and 53% were women and girls. Alarmingly, every week, about 4,000 adolescent girls and young women aged 15–24 became newly infected. 3,300 of these new infections occur in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2023, Uganda recorded 80% of new infections among young women aged 15–24, compared to 20% among young men. This highlights a stark gender disparity, with females disproportionately at risk.
At a 2025 status report presentation by the Uganda AIDS Commission at Parliament, it was revealed that 37,000 new infections were recorded, of which 21,000 were among young girls and 11,000 among boys. This means that infections among young girls are nearly double those among boys, a deeply concerning trend. Additionally, 4,700 new infections were recorded among children aged 0–14 by December 2024.
With support from Aidsfonds, Joy for Children Uganda has expanded the Babies Living Optimally and Opportunely with their Mothers (BLOOM) project to all the five divisions of Kampala: Rubaga, Kawempe, Makindye, Nakawa, and Central divcision.
The BLOOM project aims to reduce vertical transmission of HIV, in doing so, the project greatly contributes to national and global targets of zero new infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, and zero stigma aligned with the 95-95-95 goals by 2030. It also promotes early HIV testing among mothers and their children, ensuring that those who test positive access treatment promptly, and those who test negative are empowered to adopt preventive measures.
Joy for Children Uganda has conducted successful community health outreaches in Kanyanya and Kasokoso, areas known for their high youth population. We have been able to gather over 200 individuals through these health events that offer immunization services, family planning, counseling, TB screening, deworming, cervical cancer screening, HIV tests and health talks on HIV prevention, treatment, condom usage, sanitation and nutrition.
For the young women and girls that attended the event, they were able to actively participate in health discussions, they received free counselling and guidance, gained knowledge on treatment and causes of Urinary Tract Infections, looked at the dangers of unprotected sex and were guided on how to detect TB and prevent its spread.
The Bloom projects main goal is to ensure that vertical transmission of HIV ends. However, the beauty about this project is that we are hitting millions of birds with just one stone. Children are able to receive immunization at these events, mothers and their babies are linked to care, and all who attend get to recieve counceling and advice from the health officers on ground.
One Project, Tenfold Impact.
