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I&M Bank has for the second year running confirmed its sponsorship of the Kabaka Birthday Run slated for April 7th 2024 in Kampala.
The Run is an annual event in support of the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Since its inception in 2013, the Kabaka Birthday Run has helped raise awareness and funds to tackle different diseases, namely; Fistula and Sickle Cell Disease.
Last year saw the initiative focus on the fight against HIV/AIDS with the appointment of His Majesty Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II as United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) Goodwill Ambassador, for Ending AIDS among men in eastern and southern Africa, with a special focus on Buganda Kingdom.
Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga is optimistic that a healthy citizen is of great value to any country and that it is upon Ugandans to take the fight against HIV/AIDS seriously.
“Our vision is to bring about social and economic transformation for the people in the kingdom and Uganda. We want people to live happy lives, to live decently. But the major factor going to determine that is the health of the ordinary person because it’s the ordinary person that contributes to the economy of a country. We therefore join the efforts of the international community in the fight against Aids. We also welcome our partners like I&M Bank, Airtel, Nirvana Water and UNAIDS who are with us in this fight,” said the Katikiro.
With a vision anchored on positively transforming the physical, social and economic environments of communities in Uganda, the Kabaka Birthday Run will run under the theme ‘Men for Good Health to Save Girl Child and the Fight to End HIV/AIDS by 2030,’ gives I&M Bank a credible platform to help empower communities as an approach to HIV prevention.
Speaking about the partnership, I&M Bank Executive Director and Chief Operations Officer Sam Ntulume said that partnering with the Kabaka Birthday Run, gives the bank an opportunity to make a difference in the fight to end the AIDS epidemic while creating an emotional connection with clients and communities at large.
“As financial partners of the coveted annual Kabaka Birthday Run, I&M Bank seizes this opportunity to renew our commitment to deliver a positive impact in the community by supporting worthy causes, institutions and individuals across the country,” Mr. Ntulume said.
“Community empowerment approaches for HIV prevention have proven successful in addressing social and structural factors such as stigma, discrimination, violence and reduction of HIV risk among the population. We are eager to make our contribution towards achieving an HIV/AIDS-free generation by 2030,” he added.
Last year’s run attracted 100,000 participants and the number is projected to grow even bigger this year.
I&M Bank Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs Annette Nakiyaga urged the public to show up and join in the fight against HIV/AIDS for this year’s edition.
“The fight against HIV/AIDS is for everyone. I therefore encourage the public to embrace the Kabaka Birthday Run because numbers are needed to make a meaningful impact. We have gazetted our I&M Bank branches at Kingdom Kampala, Kabalagala, Kawempe and William Street as some of the kit selling points, for our customers’ convenience. The branches will also be open to members of the public that would like to purchase kits,” said Ms Nakiyaga.
According to the Uganda Aids Commission, a 2023 survey shows that Uganda has recorded progress in combating HIV and AIDS. However, the rate of the epidemic remains high, calling for measures to keep the infection numbers down as Uganda is ranked fifth globally among countries with the highest HIV burden. The prevalence of HIV among adults aged 15 to 64 in Uganda is 6.2%: 7.6% among females and 4.7% among males. This corresponds to approximately 1.2 million people aged 15 to 64 living with HIV in Uganda. HIV prevalence is higher among women living in urban areas (9.8%) than those in rural areas (6.7%).
The Kabaka Birthday Run is not only celebrated in Uganda, but also in different parts of the world, bringing onboard Ugandans who pledge allegiance to the Buganda Kingdom.
The Kabaka Birthday Run 2024 kits are going for UGX20,000, and the event is slated for Sunday April 7th 2024.