Way forward

Nov 29, 2009

WHILE the Government has been availing ARVs and other drugs to Ugandans, there has emerged the aspect of drugs overstaying in stores and medical workers stealing ARVs.<br>

WHILE the Government has been availing ARVs and other drugs to Ugandans, there has emerged the aspect of drugs overstaying in stores and medical workers stealing ARVs.

President Yoweri Museveni says drug theft is responsible for the high maternal and child mortality rates. He has promised to deal with the culprits.

To counter this, the Government plans to amend the law so that people suspected of stealing drugs cannot be released on bail until their cases are dealth with.

It is envisaged that the proposed amendment of the law will stop granting of bail (a constitutional right) for people who steal drugs.

However, court can deny a suspect bail if the case is of a capital nature, for fear of disappearing or interfering with prosecution.

“By stealing drugs, these (thieves) are indirectly killing people,” he says. “They should be on remand for a mandatory period of 180 days so that they are convicted.”

In order to avoid rising numbers of HIV infection, the country needs to take a serious look at the infection trends and behaviour to identify why this rise may be occurring and how to stop it.

Experts believe that complacency and the ‘normalisation’ of AIDS may be leading to an increase in risky behaviour that early prevention campaigns sought to reverse.

“People think that because we have had HIV for so many years, it is becoming a normal condition among the population,” says Kihumuro Apuuli, the director of Uganda Aids Commission.

The colossal gains Uganda has made in reducing HIV prevalence, granting her a model status in Africa seem to have been sacrificed on the alter of complacency.

Compiled by Vision Reporter

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});