"It is what people hear on pulpits, on rallies and in conferences that will captivate them into doing better in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Therefore, as advisers to Heads of State you must make sure that what is said about HIV/AIDS is accurate," he told the gathering.
AWA, an arm of the AU on advocacy, was set up at the 2001 AU Summit on HIV/AIDS in Abuja, Nigeria.
It groups Heads of State of Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and the Chairperson of the AU Commission.
 
Beyond sexual activity, the Ugandan cleric said people should also get the right information about safe practices on the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission, safe blood, safe circumcision and access to treatment of sexually transmitted infections, opportunistic diseases and the use of anti-retroviral drugs.
"We still have a problem in the fact that 70 percent of the people who are HIV-positive in Africa do not know their status because they are living normally and getting married.
"Voluntary counselling and testing should be a strategic message to the public if we are to achieve our goals of universal access to treatment by 2010 and stop further spread of the AIDS virus. We need a message that can propel them to do much around protection of the vulnerable in families and communities," Byamugisha added.
 
The AU Social Affairs Commissioner Bience Gawanas said African leaders decided at the Summit held in Banjul, Gambia, last year that advisers to AWA meet biannually to keep HIV/AIDS high on the continental agenda.
The advisers held their first meeting in September 2006 in Addis Ababa.
The AU strategic plan on HIV/AIDS seeks to accelerate action towards arresting the pandemic, which has taken a huge toll on Africa's populations and socio-economic development.
It is estimated that the continent has more than 12 million AIDS orphans and the figure could reach 18 million by 2008.
 
The situation is worse in rural areas where testing and surveillance systems are either very weak or non-existent.
A study by the AU Department of Social Affairs said Africa's great affliction by the pandemic were numerous, including poverty and exclusion, governance and accountability, gender inequality and differences, early sexual activity, lower socio-economic status and economic dependence.

 
This is aggravated by potentially harmful cultural practices, sexual violence, discrimination and the non-recognition of the importance of reproductive health and sexual rights, added the report, which described HIV/AIDS as "an efficient self-sustaining enemy" of the African society.
As an advocacy platform, AWA monitors the African response and mobilises resources for combating the pandemic in collaboration with UN and other international agencies. 20 February 2007 - PANA.