RESEARCH ARTICLE Persistence of traditional and emergence of new structural drivers and factors for the HIV epidemic in rural Uganda; A qualitative study 1 2 2 2 Francis BajunirweID *, Denis Akakimpa , Flora P. Tumwebaze , George Abongomera , Peter N. Mugyenyi2, Cissy M. Kityo2 1 Department of Community Health, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda, 2 Joint Clinical Research Center, Kampala, Uganda a1111111111 *
[email protected] a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 Abstract a1111111111 Background In Uganda, the HIV epidemic is now mature and generalized. Recently, there have been OPEN ACCESS reports of resurgence in the incidence of HIV after several years of successful control. The Citation: Bajunirwe F, Akakimpa D, Tumwebaze FP, causes for this resurgence are not clear but suspected to be driven by structural factors that Abongomera G, Mugyenyi PN, Kityo CM (2019) Persistence of traditional and emergence of new influence large groups of people rather than individuals. The aim of this study was to structural drivers and factors for the HIV epidemic describe the structural drivers of the HIV epidemic in high prevalence regions and inform the in rural Uganda; A qualitative study. PLoS ONE 14 next generation of interventions. (11): e0211084. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0211084 Editor: Jerome T. Galea, University of South Methodology Florida, UNITED STATES We conducted a total of 35 focus group discussions in 11 districts in Uganda. Due to their Received: January 25, 2019 high HIV prevalence, the districts had been selected to implement a donor supported pro- Accepted: October 21, 2019 gram to scale up HIV prevention, care and treatment.