Ugandan AIDS Commission Chief says homosexuality must be stamped out in schools

Dr Kihumuro Apuuli, the Ugandan AIDS Commission Chief, has warned the education ministry of that country that homosexuality is "rife" in schools.

Dr Apuuli also urged the education ministry to stamp out homosexuality, and said that parents and guardians must aid them in this, The New Vision reports.

"The practice [of homosexuality] is common among young people between 15 and 24 years," he said.

Dr Apuuli recently returned from the International AIDS Conference in Mexico, and claims that Uganda was under attack by other states due to its conservative stance on gays and lesbians.

"We had quite adverse publicity in Mexico," he said.

"Many speakers condemned our country but I believe we have strong values in terms of behaviour and what we think is right."

At the conference at the beginning of this month, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon advised nations to "pass laws against homophobia" in order to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Writing in the Washington Times, Ban Ki-Moon continued to urge societies "to speak out against discrimination and to guarantee the rights of people living with HIV."

Lisa Power, Corporate Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), was present at the conference.

She recently told PinkNews.co.uk:

"One of the main foci of the conference was the problem in places where there is stigma attached to gay and bisexual men and HIV positive people.

"Basically, until you stop persecuting these people, you can't prevent the spread of HIV.

"This is a problem particularly in some places in Latin America and Africa."