David GOMBE

The 2026 Kabaka Birthday Run reached an exhilarating climax on Sunday, April 12, at Kabaka’s Palace, with gaming agency Betika rising as a key contributor to this 12 months’s impactful marketing campaign in opposition to HIV/AIDS.

For over a decade, the Buganda Kingdom has reworked the Kabaka’s birthday into a robust nationwide name to motion.
Now in its thirteenth version, the run—held below the theme “Males Towards HIV/AIDS to Save the Woman Baby”—continues to face as Uganda’s most influential annual mobilisation in opposition to the epidemic.

This 12 months’s occasion attracted greater than 140,000 runners from throughout the nation, a outstanding progress from simply 1,000 contributors at its inception.
On the coronary heart of this momentum was Betika’s deliberate and structured contribution, underscoring its dedication to neighborhood funding past its core enterprise.

As a part of its engagement, Betika made a big sponsorship contribution, with the complete quantity directed in direction of HIV/AIDS consciousness, testing, and prevention initiatives nationwide.
Complementing this monetary help, over 75 members of Betika employees actively participated within the run, collectively contributing to an general influence valued at greater than UGX 10 million.
“HIV/AIDS has touched each neighborhood in Uganda. The Kabaka Birthday Run stays one of the crucial impactful platforms for consciousness, prevention, and motion.

Betika is proud to face alongside Ugandans in advancing Kabaka’s imaginative and prescient for a more healthy nation. Our dedication goes past leisure—we’re right here to help the causes that actually matter.
The Kabaka Birthday Run is greater than a race; it’s a nationwide platform for public well being motion, a celebration of Buganda’s cultural id, and a unifying second for Ugandans,” a Betika consultant famous.
The funds realised from the run proceed to instantly help HIV/AIDS programmes throughout the nation, contributing to measurable nationwide progress.

In keeping with UNAIDS, HIV prevalence amongst adults aged 15 to 49 declined from 7.3% in 2010 to 4.9% in 2024. New infections have dropped by 61%, from 96,000 to 37,000, whereas infections amongst younger folks aged 15–24 have diminished by 57%.

AIDS-related deaths have declined by 63%, with over 1.3 million Ugandans now accessing antiretroviral remedy.
Regardless of these positive factors, the 2030 goal of eliminating HIV/AIDS as a public well being risk calls for sustained and collective motion—an effort to which Betika continues to align itself.

The corporate’s involvement within the Kabaka Birthday Run displays a broader technique of leveraging partnerships and community-driven initiatives to ship tangible, long-term influence.
Over time, the run has performed a pivotal position in driving HIV testing, selling secure male circumcision, encouraging constant condom use, and strengthening therapy adherence.
These interventions have propelled Uganda nearer to the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, with 94% of individuals dwelling with HIV conscious of their standing, 90% on therapy, and 97% reaching viral suppression.

Via its continued help, Betika has positioned itself on the forefront of company entities championing public well being causes—demonstrating that significant funding in communities can translate into actual, measurable change.