Three in every four young people newly infected with HIV in Uganda are young women, highlighting the disproportionate burden of the epidemic on adolescent girls and young women.New figures released by the Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) show that Uganda registered 34,000 new HIV infections in 2025. Young people aged 15 to 24 accounted for 38 per cent of these infections, with young women making up 77 per cent of the total.The figures were presented at a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on Tuesday.About 1.5 million Ugandans aged 15 and above are living with HIV, representing a national prevalence rate of 5.9 per cent. When children aged zero to 14 are included, the number rises to approximately 1.57 million.Despite the persistent burden, the Commission says Uganda has made significant progress in controlling the epidemic since 2010. New infections have declined by 64 per cent, while AIDS-related deaths have dropped by 66 per cent to 19,000. Mother-to-child HIV transmission has also reduced by 78 per cent to 4,400 infections.Progress in HIV treatment has been equally encouraging. Among adults living with HIV, 85.3 per cent know their status. Of those who know their status, 99.1 per cent are receiving treatment, while 96.5 per cent of those on treatment have achieved viral suppression.However, the Commission warns that the epidemic remains disproportionately concentrated among women, young people, urban populations and key populations, including sex workers, fisherfolk and truck drivers.It has also identified rising multiple sexual partnerships, low condom use during high-risk sex and increasing sexual violence as factors undermining efforts to reduce new infections.Geographically, Fort Portal City has the highest HIV prevalence at 16.7 per cent, followed by Kalangala at 12.1 per cent and Kabarole at 10.7 per cent. Regionally, South Western Uganda leads with a prevalence of eight per cent, while Karamoja has the lowest at 1.3 per cent.Children also remain a major concern in the national response. Only 71 per cent of children living with HIV have been diagnosed, while 88 per cent of those receiving treatment have achieved viral suppression, compared with 96.5 per cent among adults.The Commission attributes some of these gaps to mothers acquiring HIV or dropping out of treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding, exposing their children to the risk of infection.UAC warns that unless new infections decline significantly, Uganda risks missing its 2030 target of reducing new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths by 90 per cent.The Commission’s board chairperson, Canon Dr Ruth Senyonyi, said these persistent gaps would feature prominently at the 2026 National HIV and AIDS Symposium, which she launched during the briefing.The symposium will take place from November 16 to 18 at the Pharmacology Grounds of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), which is co-hosting the event for the second consecutive year. This year’s theme is Sustainable Interventions to End AIDS as a Public Health Threat by 2030.Senyonyi said Uganda had come a long way from the days when HIV was associated with witchcraft and bad luck, but persistent infections among adolescent girls and young women showed that significant challenges remained.She said the symposium would bring together scientists, students and HIV programme implementers to examine why the country was still struggling to achieve some of its targets.With donor funding declining, the meeting will also provide a platform to discuss sustainable financing for Uganda’s HIV response.Senyonyi said the country had managed to maintain essential HIV services despite significant external funding disruptions, largely due to strong government leadership. She added that UAC had developed a roadmap to guide the transition from donor dependence to increased domestic financing.The symposium will also examine ongoing efforts to find an HIV cure. Senyonyi said a cure remained desirable because lifelong treatment presented challenges for patients, adding that discussions on the subject should consider social and ethical implications alongside scientific developments.More than 120 research abstracts are expected to be presented during the symposium.The event will also feature the commemoration of Philly Lutaaya Memorial Day, honouring the late musician and other pioneers who helped fight HIV-related stigma by publicly disclosing their status and encouraging others to seek support.Members of the public can register to attend the symposium physically or online through nhas.uac.go.ug.The post Women account for 3 in 4 new HIV infections in Uganda appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.