U.S. officials and those working in the HIV response in Uganda said they are already seeing the detrimental effects of the controversial anti-gay bill that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law in May, with many affected populations now in hiding and not seeking services.
“The law is already causing harm,” jeopardizing the gains made in the country in the fight against HIV, Natalie Brown, the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, said during a session at the 12th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Brisbane, Australia.
U.S. investments in the health sector are “intended to be nondiscriminatory,” she said. ”But if we're not reaching the people that we want to help most — the most vulnerable — then we are going to have to reassess how our funds are used, where they go, particularly if some of our implementing partners are targeted and can’t provide those services,” she added.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
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