By Frank Nyakairu
KAMPALA (Reuters) - Uganda's government said on Monday itwould not focus any of its HIV/AIDS prevention and treatmentprogrammes on outlawed homosexuals because the east Africancountry is short of funds.
"Gays are one of the drivers of HIV in Uganda, but becauseof meagre resources we cannot direct our programmes at them atthis time," the chairman of the Uganda AIDS Commission,Kihumuro Apuuli, told reporters in the capital Kampala.
He said the government planned to focus its work on otherhigh risk groups such as sex workers, truck drivers, remotefishing communities and members of the armed forces.
Most homosexuals hide their sexual preferences in Uganda,where courts can punish homosexual acts with a life sentence inprison, and even "attempted" homosexuality can draw a jail termof seven years.
Local activists estimate the homosexual community at500,000 people out of 27 million in Uganda.
More than one million Ugandans are HIV positive.
Apuuli's comments came ahead of a major AIDS meeting slatedto start in Kampala on Tuesday.
(Editing by Daniel Wallis)
(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say onthe top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/ )
