Risk of Public Health Crisis in Uganda Amidst Anti-Homosexuality Act

The Anti-Homosexuality Act passed in Uganda in 2023 put citizens at risk of a public health crisis, as Ugandans are fearful of seeking treatment for HIV.

This act, signed by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, is one of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws and has received pushback from activists. Sexual relations between same-gender people are criminalized, with cases of “aggravated homosexuality” being punishable by death. Aggravated homosexuality can include having consensual sex while also having HIV.  Promoting homosexuality by not reporting someone as gay, hiring them, or giving them a place to live, is now punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Uganda has been an important country for research in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Previously, Uganda addressed the HIV epidemic effectively, with the death rate dropping 88% from 1990 to 2019. In 2021, access to testing and treatment allowed 95% of Ugandans who knew that they had HIV to receive antiretroviral therapy.

The Anti-Homosexuality Act is a tragedy for the day-to-day life of Ugandans, but it also can place their health in danger because people will not seek treatment. Under the Anti-Homosexuality Act, doctors will have to reveal who partakes in their studies. This leads to a decline in participation and thus helpful research that minimizes the effects of the HIV epidemic. 

Under the Anti-Homosexuality Act, people with HIV are fearful of prosecution if they were to seek help. People coming in for HIV testing or treatment have dropped by at least half. Several healthcare providers and patients have been arrested, and certain living shelters for people with HIV have since closed. 

The Anti-Homosexuality Act puts queer people in danger, both of prosecution for their identity and of being unable to get needed medical assistance. Uganda faces the threat of a rise in HIV, with citizens not receiving necessary treatment out of fear of repercussions.