King William Nadiope IV of the Busoga region, UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador

His Majesty, William Gabula Nadiope IV, Isebantu Kyabazinga of Busoga, was nominated as UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador in November of 2024. His majesty has been engaged in high-level HIV advocacy and awareness raising activities including engaging men and boys to reduce teenage pregnancies in the Busoga region. Uganda has a teenage pregnancy rate of 24%, one of the highest in the world. Busoga region has a teenage pregnancy rate of 28.4% which is higher than the national average. This situation presents devastating health consequences for the teenage girls and increases vulnerability to HIV, diminishes their prospects to complete education, find decent work and contribute to Uganda’s economic growth.

In his role as a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, His Majesty engages with boys and men in the Busoga region to address the drivers of teenage pregnancy. The King launched Abasaadha Ne Mpango (Men are Pillars)" campaign, in collaboration with UN agencies (UNAIDS, UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO and MTN). The campaign focuses on male engagement to combat teenage pregnancies and early marriages, particularly in the Busoga sub-region of Uganda.