Determinant factors for HIV infection and vulnerability among married returnee internally displaced persons (IDP)
Abstract
The study focused on exploring the determinant factors for HIV infection and vulnerability
among married returnee internally displaced people (IDP) in Amida Sub County in Kitgum
District in Northern Uganda. The study applied a descriptive and exploratory approach into
the phenomenon. The sample size was eighty (80) respondents (47 males and 33 females)
from 7 villages in Amida Sub County. The study established several factors that make
married couples among IDP returnees at risk and vulnerable to HIV infections in Amida Sub
County. These factors include risky sexual behavioural practices among couples, attitudes,
community beliefs, multiple sexual partners, poverty, divorce, prostitution, search for sexual
satisfaction, ignorance, submissiveness of women, alcoholism, domestic violence, religious
differences in the family, peer pressure, love for material things, unemployment, lack of self
control and discipline among HIV positively living persons. The effect of the risks and
vulnerability to HIV is a human right issue. Article 16 (1) of the African Charter on Human
Rights and People’s Rights (ACHPR) states that human health is an inherent human right,
and ‘every individual shall have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical and
mental health”. The right to health contains freedoms and entitlements. The freedoms
include the right to control one’s health and body, including sexual and reproductive freedom
and the right to be free from interference (Manisuli Ssenyonjo, 2003). According to the study
the factors for married IDP returnees being at risk and vulnerable to HIV are because human
rights were not fully protected. 14% said that the infections were due to poverty and the LRA
war, as a failure to protect civil and political rights. Eight percent (8%) of the respondent said
the main reason for HIV infections was drunkenness and misunderstanding among married
couples (men & women); 10% said that the infections were due to unfaithfulness, unprotected
sex, domestic violence among married couples; 9% said the infections were due to wife
inheritance; 22% said it was due to unprotected sex and mother to child transmissions (breast
feeding); 17% said it was due to all the reasons given above. The national IDP Policy (2004)
focuses on protection of the rights of IDPs to have better livelihoods after resettlement. In
addition, the Uganda Human Rights Commission report1 (2008) to parliament highlighted
HIV/AIDS as a human right issue and advocated for a human rights based approach in
fighting the pandemic, more so with attention on mitigating on the factors that cause
increasing risky behaviors and vulnerability especially among the most at risk population,
IDPs being inclusive. The study revealed that 46.25% of the respondents said the main mode
was unprotected sex & mother to child and 3.75% said they thought the main mode was
unprotected sex. The UHRC recommendations include legislation of HIV/AIDS factors
aggregating the transmission of HIV/AIDS, ART, freedom of expression, violation of right to
education, inhuman and degrading treatment, privacy, discrimination. In comparison, the
recommendation would help reduce on risk and vulnerability. In conclusion, `human rights
protection cuts across many spheres of life, protecting humans from the effects of HIV/AIDS
are one of them (Makumi Mwagiru, 1997). The study specific identified at least four or more
activities done to fight HIV infections and spread of HIV/AIDS such as condom use,
PMTCT, ART, ABC approach among others and attributed some achievements made to key
actors Such as donor supported projects in the region such as Northern Uganda Malaria AIDS
and Tuberculosis (NUMAT) and the government of Uganda, in addition to requests for
spearheading more initiatives and efforts to mitigate the risk and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS
infections among IDP returnees.