The root cause for the spread of AIDS in Uganda is mainly poverty and belief. Many young people will have sex to gain money, not knowing if the person is infected or not. Also, in the traditional African worldview, one never dies by oneself of disease.
Death is associated with the spiritual world.
Therefore, when one is infected with AIDS, the belief is that he or she is bewitched. For instance, if a husband dies of AIDS, his wife is quickly married by the brothers of the deceased. Today among the born again believers in Jesus Christ, there is a growing belief that AIDS is healed by Jesus. With these beliefs there is a high tendency for people to relax, forget and to feel that it is okay for one to have sex anyhow, anytime and with anyone. The objectives of the AIDS Education program is to provide biblically based AIDS care and counseling to those infected and affected by the disease.