An app, which acts as a one-stop centre for information on HIV prevention and treatment, has been upgraded and enhanced with data on the latest interventions in the fight against the disease.
Among the additions to the Prep Uganda app, which was initially launched in 2018, is information on injectable Prep, HIV self-testing, mother-to-child transmission of HIV, voluntary male circumcision and gender-based violence.
Director of Preventive Care International, James Brown, who is also a member of the Prep working group at the health ministry, made the revelations while briefing journalists in Kampala on Friday, October 28, 2022.
“We incorporated into the app information on how someone can carry out HIV self-testing to ensure that they are sure of their status before continuing with Prep. We have also included information on voluntary male circumcision. We realised that behavioural issues like gender-based violence were big drivers of HIV. So, we included information about it, too,” he added.
The app which was a culmination of efforts between the health ministry and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), also contains a list of the 350 health facilities where one can access Prep and HIV treatment services free of charge.
Access to information key
Brown said the Prep Uganda phone application was one of the ways of helping people to access information about the spread and control of HIV.
