Sheikh Obilan Abubakar Umar, the Regional Assistant Mufti (RAM) for Teso-Karamoja Region, has raised alarm over the high HIV prevalence in Soroti City, which currently stands at 12.5%—well above the national average of 5.1%. He made the remarks while addressing parents at the Soroti Secondary School Annual General Meeting on Saturday.
According to the Uganda AIDS Commission (2024), Soroti City ranks second only to Fort Portal, where the prevalence is 13.5%. Sheikh Obilan revealed that the city has 120 identified “hot spots” for commercial sex, including areas where secondary schoolgirls reportedly sell themselves for as little as 1,000 to 2,000 shillings. “This is very detrimental to our culture, religion, Teso sub-region, and Uganda at large,” he said.
The RAM condemned parents who marry off their underage daughters, depriving them of education. “I have been reliably informed that there is a Muslim parent of a senior two student who wants to marry her off, and is actively looking for a man to marry her. Such parents should be reported immediately to the authorities, and the law should be applied to them,” Sheikh Obilan warned.
He urged communities to be vigilant against the exploitation of young girls for commercial sex or forced marriage. Sheikh Obilan also expressed serious concern about parents who view young girls primarily as a source of family income. He noted that some parents deliberately send their daughters to school without providing the necessary support for their basic needs. This practice has compromised cultural and spiritual values among young people.
He cautioned that neglecting children’s voices often leads to trauma, stress, and psychological unrest. “Uganda is doomed if we have future parents who grow up without mentorship,” he said, calling this trend “parental absenteeism.”
Beyond HIV, Sheikh Obilan highlighted other pressing health issues affecting the Teso sub-region, including cervical cancer and sickle cell disease. He revealed that Teso now ranks second to Lango in Uganda for sickle cell prevalence.
“The disease is growing rapidly in Teso. We need to fight the trend fraternally,” he advised. The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council regional office is leading efforts to combat sickle cell through massive testing, counseling, and advocacy for pre-marital screening.
Sheikh Obilan urged parents to get tested and called for all schoolgirls to be screened to determine their carrier status. He also announced plans to establish a sickle cell clinic in Soroti City soon.
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