There are four cross-cutting issues in the District: (a) HIV/AIDS, (b) Poverty plus Livelihood (c) Environment Degredation plus Natural Resources and (d) Gender.
High prevalence of HIV/AIDs threatens to wipe out the significant gains that have been registered over the years. Although there is no reliable statistics on the rate of infection and prevalence rate, because of lack of adequate reporting mechanism, it is common knowledge that the infection rate is unacceptably high.
While national statistics indicate that the infection rate is going down in urban areas, there is no doubt that in Arua district this is not yet happening because of the refugee factor, the effects of war and displacement, and being on the high way to the DRC and Sudan. Qualitative information available seems to indicate that the rate of HIV/AIDs infection is quite high in urban areas, which is a home to many unemployed persons.
Certainly, the rate of infection must be much higher given the fact that most of the HIV cases are not reported due to lack of comprehensive reporting mechanisms. HIV/AIDs testing are voluntary and not many people have the incentive to undergo the test, in part due to the stigma associated with being HIV positive. More over, there are very limited facilities for HIV/AIDS testing. The only testing centres remain the hospitals, Aids Information Centre and a few some scheduled outreaches. Subsequently, majority of the people particularly in the rural areas have limited access to the testing and counselling facilities.
The effects of HIV/AIDS are that many families have lost their productive members, since infection rate is highest amongst the working groups, thereby exacerbating the levels of poverty. Similarly, the burden of looking after the orphans left behind as a result of HIV/AIDs has shifted to the old people and children who in most cases have no gainful activities.
Mention must be made of the fact that women are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDs infection due to their rather low economic status.
Therefore the progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS needs a multi-sectoral approach. In Arua District HIV/AIDs has been streamlined in all Sectors. The District Development Plan wishes to address the issue by committing significant resources to halting the spread of the scourge. In Arua District the issue of combating the infection continues to receive great attention.
