Uganda Academy releases sh24b to fight HIV/TB

Uganda Academy has released $6.7million about (sh24b) to six Ugandan based organisations to support health interventions for people affected with HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB).

Receiving the grant from Uganda Academy Officials at Infectious Disease Institute on Tuesday the Executive director of Hoima Caritas Development Organisation (HOCADEO) Emazi Christopher said the funds will be used in prevention of HIV/AIDS since the region receives so many migrants due to oil production.

Emazi said currently the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Hoima stands at 8.2% adding that some areas especially on the lakes the figures tend to go higher.

"We have received sh103m and part of the money is going towards HIV/AIDS counselling and testing among the youths. We want to Scale up sustainable clinical management intervention on the HIV and TB care and treatment in Hoima through community based approaches and improve service delivery for a HIV/TB in Kabwoya sub-county," he explained.

According to Aids indicator survey HIV prevalence in Uganda increased from 6.4% to 7.3% by 2011 while over 45,268 TB cases were reported by the National TB and Leprosy programme in 2014/15 financial year from 46,535 cases reported the previous year. 

The World Health Organisation estimates that the burden of TB is on decline in Uganda and that Uganda attained millennium development goal targets prior to 2015.

A nationwide drug resistance survey carried out in Uganda in 2010/11 estimated that the prevalence of drug resistance TB among new and retreatment cases to be 1.4% and 12% respectively.

The Academy's program manager Diana Asiimwe explains that the criteria they used to award the six organisations.

 ' Those submitting the proposals included established agencies that are leading the way with their pioneering work, but also smaller community-based organisations with a local focus, which typically have less access to national funding resources,' Asiimwe said

Samuel Katumba the executive director of sustainable Development Initiatives (SDI) project based in Kalangala said they have received sh106m and the grant is going to be used to increase access to quality health care and treatment in the district.

Other organisations that benefited from the funding include integrated community Based initiative (ICOBI), Child and Family organisation and TASO.