Uganda: One-month HIV exhibition starts in Arus city

A one-month HIV exhibition has started in Arua, Uganda to showcase the destructive journey and consequences of HIV, according to The Independent Uganda.

The public exhibition, which has started on Thursday at Cafeteria in Arua town, is the first of its kind in the West Nile region with a particular impact on changing the youth's sexual behaviors.

The exhibition involves showing films and pictures of HIV positive people in the earlier days like Philip Lutaya and how the devastating effects have been countered to give people hope of living longer positively.

Dr. Twaha Mahaba, regional program manager, West Nile health program says the issue of HIV has remained high in communities because of a lack of adequate knowledge.

Dr. Pontius Apollo, the Arua Municipal Health Officer, says that the exhibition will also help address the challenge of getting HIV discordant couples on board and fighting stigma in the municipality and the district.

Jack Kokole, the chairperson of Arua district network of Men living with HIV, says the initiative to showcase the consequences of HIV in Arua will help address the challenge of stigma.

"There should be no isolation of one another so that we can fight HIV and its related stigma. The truth is that when you bring us together we feel respected and with the hope of living longer lives," said Kokole.