Uganda Gets Sh82b For AIDS Project

By Charles Ariko THE World Bank has given the Government US$47.5m (about sh82b) for the Uganda HIV/AIDS Control Project for the next five years. The total cost of the project is US$50m (sh86.5b). Uganda is to contribute US$2.5 (sh4.3b) towards the project. Peter Nsubuga, the co-ordinator of the project, on Monday said the project activities are to be decentralised to all the districts. Nsubuga was speaking at a two-day workshop attended by LC5 chairpersons, District Directors of Medical Services and Chief Administrative Officers. The Vice-President, Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, is expected to launch the project today at the International Conference Centre in Kampala. Nsubuga said US$10m (sh17.3b) is to be shared by the districts while US$15m (sh25.95b) is to be disbursed at the community level. US$20m (sh34.6b) was allocated for the procurement of drugs to treat HIV/AIDS related diseases. The districts will access the drugs from the central government under a system to be established under the project. Nsubuga, however, said the project will not buy anti-retroviral drugs for treating HIV/AIDS, except where it is for the prevention of HIV/AIDS transmission from mother to child. Julius Byenkya, the project implementation specialist, urged the districts to set up HIV committees to get the funds. Ends