Sh120b spent on HIV/AIDS
Dec 01, 2002
THE cost of treating HIV/AIDS is threatening Ugandans’ pockets, if the latest statistics from the Uganda Aids Commission (UAC) are anything to go by
By Jude Etyang
THE cost of treating HIV/AIDS is threatening Ugandans’ pockets, if the latest statistics from the Uganda Aids Commission (UAC) are anything to go by.
UAC director Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli said Uganda spends a whooping shs120b on treatment of AIDS victims annually.
Apuuli, however, said the anti-retroviral drugs were expensive and unaccessible to the majority of the one million people living with HIV in Uganda.
Apuuli was on Saturday speaking at the World Aids Day celebrations for Kampala, at Nsambya grounds.
The colourful but poignant event was attended by Kampala mayor John Ssebaana Kizito, the country programme advisor on UNAIDS, Inge Tack, the Country director for World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr. Oladapo Walker and Dr. Elizabeth Madraa from the Ministry of Health.
This year’s theme is “Fight Stigma reach out to Positive People,†which is aimed at ending the discrimination levelled at people suffering from AIDS.
Apuuli said 10,000 of the one million people living with AIDS in Uganda had access to drugs.
He said the health ministry was set to give the commission US$3m from a World bank loan, to purchase anti-retroviral drugs for the less privileged.
Apuuli said stigma and discrimination hindered the fight against AIDS.
THE cost of treating HIV/AIDS is threatening Ugandans’ pockets, if the latest statistics from the Uganda Aids Commission (UAC) are anything to go by.
UAC director Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli said Uganda spends a whooping shs120b on treatment of AIDS victims annually.
Apuuli, however, said the anti-retroviral drugs were expensive and unaccessible to the majority of the one million people living with HIV in Uganda.
Apuuli was on Saturday speaking at the World Aids Day celebrations for Kampala, at Nsambya grounds.
The colourful but poignant event was attended by Kampala mayor John Ssebaana Kizito, the country programme advisor on UNAIDS, Inge Tack, the Country director for World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr. Oladapo Walker and Dr. Elizabeth Madraa from the Ministry of Health.
This year’s theme is “Fight Stigma reach out to Positive People,†which is aimed at ending the discrimination levelled at people suffering from AIDS.
Apuuli said 10,000 of the one million people living with AIDS in Uganda had access to drugs.
He said the health ministry was set to give the commission US$3m from a World bank loan, to purchase anti-retroviral drugs for the less privileged.
Apuuli said stigma and discrimination hindered the fight against AIDS.