The HIV challenge
Dec 02, 2002
DESPITE successful measures to curb the spread, HIV/AIDS is still a serious health and social problem in Uganda.
DESPITE successful measures to curb the spread, HIV/AIDS is still a serious health and social problem in Uganda.
The challenge is big. Threatening the existence of humanity.
It is not only a Ugandan issue. Millions of people continue to be affected worldwide with most debilitating cases being in Sub-Sahara Africa.
In Uganda, today, there are over one million people living with HIV/AIDS. Over 1.8 million are orphaned by the scourge.
Uganda is spending over sh120b annually on treatment of those who are HIV positive.
The orphans need support to live. Besides they place a heavy burden on relatives.
It is a fact that households with persons succumbing to HIV/AIDS face severe economic hardship.
They have to struggle hard to make ends meet. Usually the ill person is the breadwinner, implying that the onset of the disease leads to decline in family incomes.
The correlation between poverty and HIV/AIDS is strong and complicates the fight. Poverty inhibits majority from accessing treatment. And also welcomes social negligence that allows the prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
Uganda’s multi-sectoral approach has been a great success. HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has dropped from 30% in 1980s to the present 6.5% as a result of information, education and communication. Initially the focus was mostly on creating awareness but now there is need to address the issue of those living with the problem as well.
How can they access treatment? There is a campaign for a global fund, which is yet to mature.
But as a country, together we can raise a fund to pay treatment costs for the poor.
The fight against the virus must target all. It should aim at stopping the spread but also address the need for treatment of those infected. In a war the enemy has to be uprooted.
The challenge is big. Threatening the existence of humanity.
It is not only a Ugandan issue. Millions of people continue to be affected worldwide with most debilitating cases being in Sub-Sahara Africa.
In Uganda, today, there are over one million people living with HIV/AIDS. Over 1.8 million are orphaned by the scourge.
Uganda is spending over sh120b annually on treatment of those who are HIV positive.
The orphans need support to live. Besides they place a heavy burden on relatives.
It is a fact that households with persons succumbing to HIV/AIDS face severe economic hardship.
They have to struggle hard to make ends meet. Usually the ill person is the breadwinner, implying that the onset of the disease leads to decline in family incomes.
The correlation between poverty and HIV/AIDS is strong and complicates the fight. Poverty inhibits majority from accessing treatment. And also welcomes social negligence that allows the prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
Uganda’s multi-sectoral approach has been a great success. HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has dropped from 30% in 1980s to the present 6.5% as a result of information, education and communication. Initially the focus was mostly on creating awareness but now there is need to address the issue of those living with the problem as well.
How can they access treatment? There is a campaign for a global fund, which is yet to mature.
But as a country, together we can raise a fund to pay treatment costs for the poor.
The fight against the virus must target all. It should aim at stopping the spread but also address the need for treatment of those infected. In a war the enemy has to be uprooted.