Portbell gets HIV/AIDS wellness centre

Oct 20, 2015

The Country Director of the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Steven Wiersmay has asked HIV/AIDS service organisations to take their services to key-population areas

By Mathias Mazinga

The Country Director of the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Steven Wiersmay has asked HIV/AIDS service organisations to take their services to key-population areas.


Reaching out to people that are at high risk, Wiersmay explained, would make HIV/AIDS treatment and care more accessible, further to reducing HIV/AIDS infections.

Wiersmay was commissioning an HIV/AIDS outreach clinic (wellness centre) at Portbell, Luzira (Nakawa division) .

Dr. Wiersmay, left, cut the tape during the inaugration  of the outreach clinic. Centre is Dr. Nsangi

The sh62m outreach clinic was put in place by Reach Out Mbuya Parish HIV/AIDS Initiative, with funding from CDC. It offers free health services like HIV/AIDS care and treatment (including laboratory services), screening/treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, Health Education, antenatal/maternal child health care and constructive entertainment.

Wiersmay further called for a holistic approach to HIV/AIDS treatment and care, as another strategy to prevail over the scourge.

Dr. Wiersmay with the staff and Board members of Reach Out Mbuya


“Reach Out Mbuya does the appropriate thing to take health services to the most vulnerable people in the key-population areas. We also recommend the holistic approach to HIV/AIDS treatment and care.

These are effective innovations we would desire for every HIV/AIDS oriented organisations, to be able to meet the needs of our people as we struggle to have an HIV/AIDS free generation.”

The Executive Director of Reach Out Mbuya, Dr. Betty Nsangi said that Portbell was one of the key-population areas, which was why her organisation had decided to give it a wellness centre.

Dr. Wiersmay, second left, cuts a cake. Looking on is Dr. Nsangi, left, Fr. Mondo, thrird left, Dr. Oundo and Kiirya, right

“This area has many fishermen, truck-drivers and sex-workers, the categories of people that are at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. We believe that if we work among them, we shall go extra-miles in our big battle against the scourge.”

Fr. Dr. Paulino Mondo, a Board member of Reach Out Mbuya, encouraged people to go for HIV/AIDS testing, saying this was the first step to fight and eradicate the deadly disease from the communities.

The function was also attended by the KCCA Division Medical Officer for Nakawa, Dr. Christopher Oundo and the Chairman of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union, Azizi Kiirya, who commended Reach Out Mbuya for treating hundreds of HIV/AIDS affected drivers under his organisation.
 

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