COVID-19: HIV/AIDS, TB patients to get drugs for 3 months

COVID-19 | HIV/AIDS

KAMPALA - As the COVID-19 pandemic takes a toll on health care systems globally, the Ministry of Health has promised to give three months' worth of drug supply to people living with HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB).

The lockdown had created panic among people living with HIV/AIDS and TB who had appointments to collect their life-sustaining drugs.

"Restricting movement of people in order to contain the virus has led to a number of people living with HIV/Aids defaulting on anti-retroviral treatment. People who normally go for review have not been accessing the health centres and those who need to test for HIV cannot," said Titus Twesigye, the country director of Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders Against HIV and AIDS (AMICAALL)-Uganda Chapter.

Speaking to the New Vision, Dr Joshua Musinguzi, the head of the HIV/Aids programme at Ministry of Health, said they have suspended a few HIV services like HIV testing activities countrywide, and circumcision.

"At the community level, we have suspended all the HIV activities in order to shield our patients from COVID-19, we are also working with National Medicals Store to make sure that they distribute medicines to all Government health facilities so that HIV/AIDS and TB patients get their medicines from a nearby health centre in their areas," said Musinguzi.

Dr Musinguzi also noted that as a ministry, they are going to distribute multi mass drugs to HIV/TB patients for a period of three months.

"If some patients are not comfortable to get medicines from a nearby facility, we are going to give them drugs for three months so that it takes them till we are Coronavirus free. For TB patients who have developed resistance and need medicine combinations, they should stay in hospitals till they get fine. We are going to get people to support them throughout this season," said Musinguzi.

Addressing the media Monday, Dr Ruth Aceng, the health minister, noted that HIV/AIDS patients should be given priority when it comes to transportation.

"Such people should be given priority to access government vehicles that are parked in all districts so that they can go to the hospitals to pick their medicines and get treatment," noted Aceng.

Sarah Nakku, the UNAIDS community mobiliser and networking adviser, said if it was possible, people living with HIV/AIDS who are on the first-line treatment should be given their medicine for six months, not three months.

"We do not know how long we are going to be with Coronavirus, it would be good if people on first treatment get drugs for 6 months because of adhering to treatment. Also, those on the second and third treatment should be able to get at least for a month because we know their treatment is expensive," said Nakku.

Nakku revealed that one of the biggest challenges they are facing right now is how they are going to give treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS.

"The ministry advised people to get medicines from their nearby health centres but we have people who get their treatment from far places because of stigma issues, incase government bans movement those people will be affected, we are calling upon TASO and Mildmay to identify those people and link them to people who can deliver the medicine to them in confidentiality," noted Nakku.

Dr Musinguzi also revealed that the ministry has suspended the Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Survey (UPHIA) till the Country is Coronavirus free.