U.S. and Ugandan government policies are exacerbating a dramatic condom shortage in Uganda, the African country best known for its successful HIV prevention efforts. Some 32 million quality-approved condoms remain impounded in government warehouses while the U.S. government ramps up financing for abstinence-only approaches to HIV prevention. According to Ugandan AIDS activists, the government's actions will undermine community efforts to reduce HIV prevalence and HIV transmission. These trends away from scientifically sound, evidence-based prevention strategies are occurring in Uganda and in other countries hard-hit by the AIDS epidemic, such as Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.



CHANGE press release, August 26, 2005

Press release, AIDS Activists Protest Uganda's Condom Shortage, August 30, 2005

Transcript (doc) of August 30, 2005 audio press conference.
Speakers: Stephen Lewis, United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa; Zackie Achmat, Chairperson, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), South Africa and Co-founder of the Pan-African Treatment Access Movement (PATAM); Beatrice Were, ActionAid Uganda and member, Health Rights Action Group and Positive Women Leaders; Jodi Jacobson (moderator), Executive Director, Center for Health and Gender Equity.

Photographs of protest, August 30, 2005:
Photo 1       Photo 2
Photo 3       Photo 4
Photo 5       Photo 6
Photo 7       Photo 8

Background Documents

Ugandan Condom Crisis - Basic Facts    Timeline, Jan 2004 - August 2005

The Less They Know the Better: Abstinence-Only HIV/AIDS Programs in Uganda, Human Rights Watch Report

"Fighting to Close the Gap in Uganda," Lancet, March 26, 2005

Letter outlining UNAIDS' support of condoms and concern about the shortage in Uganda (pdf)

African and US Contacts for Additional Information (pdf)


Media Coverage

Uganda rejects condom shortage claims - ABC News Online, Australia, August 31, 2005

Bush accused of 'doing damage' to Africa - People's Daily Online from China Daily, August 31, 2005

US 'harming' Uganda's Aids battle - BBC, August 30, 2005

U.S. Blamed for Condom Shortage in Fighting AIDS in Uganda - New York Times, August 30, 2005

Bush accused of Aids damage to Africa, by Jeevan Vasagar and agencies in Nairobi and Julian Borger in Washington - Guardian, August 30, 2005

UN envoy blames Bush administration's AIDS policy for condom shortage in Uganda, by Chris Tomlinson - AP on Canada.com, August 29, 2005

U.N. Official Faults U.S. AIDS Policy, by Chris Tomlinson - AP on washingtonpost.com, August 29, 2005

Uganda Disputes Condom Shortage as U.N. Envoy Blames Bush AIDS Policy, by Abid Aslam - OneWorld US, August 29, 2005

Uganda's Aids programme faces crisis - Mail & Guardian, August 28, 2005

US abstinence drive hurts AIDS fight - UN official, by Andrew Quinn - Reuters, August 29, 2005

Uganda's AIDS Programme Faces Crisis, by Sarah Boseley - Guardian, August 29, 2005

US Group Alleges Condom Crisis, by Evelyn Lirri - The Monitor, Uganda, August 29, 2005

Uganda: 'No shortage of condoms' - BBC, August 29, 2005

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