Ugandan Taxis to Give Away Condoms in New Anti-AIDS Program

On Tuesday, officials said Uganda's taxi cabs, mini-buses, municipal and regional coaches and ferries will immediately begin distributing free condoms and advice as part of the government's fight against HIV/AIDS. "We have developed a strategy to work with [the] public transport system to raise awareness," said Julius Byenkya, who runs the program for the Health Ministry. Under the plan, the ministry will recruit transport operators to serve as peer educators, and taxis will become distribution points for condoms, said Byenkya. In addition, passenger vehicles will have audio recordings of a serialized drama series about HIV prevention, he said. "The main focus is about behavioral change because it seems the majority of people know about HIV/AIDS, but many have failed to change their behavior," added Byenkya.

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