Defences strengthened in AIDS battle

Five divisions of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) are set to benefit from individual HIV/AIDS testing and counselling centres. This follows recent reports that HIV/AIDS posed a serious threat to Uganda's national security if the disease was not brought under control. The local newspaper, New Vision, was told by the UPDF director of medical services, Samuel Lange, that division commanders would supervise the centres and play a major role in sensitising their troops to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. Research has shown that HIV/AIDS was already responsible for up to 60 percent of deaths among military personnel in the Southern African Development Community. UNAIDS recognised earlier this year that uniformed services were an important group in tackling the disease in Africa, and committed the organisation to financing all AIDS-related military programmes.