Role of Music in Confronting Ugandan HIV Rates

Ugandan HIV non-profit advocacy initiative, Reach a Hand Uganda (RAHU), has used music extensively in their quest to combat the virus. This efforts include, I Know Kati concert series,  flash mobs and numerous Musical Projects.

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“Music is a universal language so at Reach of hand we use musicians because they are cultural icons. When artists speak about HIV, the message gets home.” Reach a Hand communication manager, Ibrahim Batambuze, told journalist during I know Kati concert in Kabala.

The 2018 I Know HIV/AIDS awareness concerts were held on August 25th, 29th and September 1st in Lira (Mayor’s Gardens), Masaka (Liberation Square) and Kabale (Kabale Stadium) respectively. Participating towns were picked for their high HIV prevalence, and before each concert various activities were conducted to combat HIV. Over 72,000 people were tested at over 200 clinics at the concert venues, clubs, Hotels and other public areas. In Kabale, where the last I Know Kati concert was held, HIV rates increased from3.8 last year to 4.2 this year due to increased sex workers, lack of information, inaccessibility to condoms and stigma.

“HIV rates are increasing, that is why we are spreading information about HIV, provide testing and family planning services. We have also put condoms within reach all over Kabale and ensured that everywhere you look there is something reminding you that you need to protect yourself.” Humphrey, told reporters during I know Kati kabale.

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HIV prevalence has decreased in Uganda since the 1990s, but remains substantial within high-risk groups. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4635457/ previous editions of Uganda’s AIDS Indicator Survey show that HIV prevalence in the general population in Uganda increased from 6.4% in 2004/5 to 7.3% by 2011 among adults. According to a 2013 UNAIDS report, Uganda’s HIV prevalence is the highest at 7.3%, followed by Kenya at 5.3%, Tanzania (3.0%) and Burundi (1.1%). The report noted that every week, at least 570 young women aged 15-24 got infected with HIV in Uganda. The 2016 Uganda Population HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA) https://www.afro.who.int/news/uganda-releases-preliminary-results-2016-uganda-population-hiv-impact-assessment indicated that HIV prevalence had dropped to 6%. This drop was attributed to intensified HIV prevention and treatment services in the country that led to a decrease in the number of new infections in recent years. Earlier this year the Executive director RAHU, Nabimanya Humphrey, co-authored a paper dubbed, Music Testivals To Serve As  A Catalyst for collaborative HIV prevention education and expanded HIV Testing in Rural Uganda https://wscholars.com/index.php/ijcd/article/view/915. It read in part.

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‘From 2014 through 2016, we produced I know Kati, to assess the effectiveness of a music festival to engage persons in sexual health and HIV screening services. In that period, over 38,000 persons attended the annual festivals and were exposed to HIV prevention messaging. Over 7,000 persons were tested for HIV. In 2016, 4,588 HIV tests were performed. Music festivals created a novel opportunity to provide sexual health services including prevention education, reproductive healthcare, and HIV testing to persons at risk for HIV in rural Uganda.’

In Africa, Music has been extensively used in the fight against HIV. Zimbabwean musical legend, Oliva Mutukudzi is globally recognized for his musical contribution to HIV awareness. His first song about HIV/AIDS, “Stay with One Woman,” was written during a campaign initiated by the World Health Organization in 1986. The singer-songwriter has subsequently released several other songs dealing with social experiences of the disease. His song ‘Todii’ or ‘What Shall We Do’ is probably his most famous song about HIV/AIDS. In an attempt to move away from typical HIV lingo used by governments and NGO’S, Mutukudzi never mentions the disease by name in his songs. Prevalence levels dropped sharply in Zimbabwe, from 26.2 in 2001 to 15.3 in 2007, figures that are largely attributed to Mutukudzi’s efforts.

Because of how it was told, the AIDS narrative has for decades marred the image of Africa, . Involving African artist has not only reduced prevalence rates but also given Africans a chance to tell their own story. Gregory Barz in his book (The Culture of AIDS in Africa: Hope and Healing Through Music and the Arts) delved into the relationship between aids and music in Africa. The book chronicles experiences of performers, artists, communities, and organizations in their quest to tackle the pandemic using music. Barz noted that when artists are educated about AIDS it inspires them to use their talents in the struggle.

“Like most Americans I was accustomed to mainstream media’s portrayal of Africa as a desperate, mono-cultural, continent laid to waste by a disease of biblical proportion. Yet throughout my travels I encountered people using music to build strong and healthy communities,” Barz says in his book.

“For those living in the shadows of this devastating disease, music is a way to tap into the imaginative spark that compels change. With music we can employ the power of a single voice or join in song to heal, educate and to transform the world.”