Budget for civil servants living with HIV/AIDS

By Francis Emorut                                                    

In order to remain productive and for efficient service delivery there is need for government to budget for health care for civil servants who are living with HIV/AIDS every financial year.

The call was made by HIV/AIDS activist Dr. Stephen Watiti who said if civil servants are to make an impact in service delivery then government should budget for their ARVs.

​"You need to budget for civil servants who are HIV/AIDS positive given the fact that donor funding for the epidemic is reducing. Let it be in the budget for the ministry," Dr. Watiti said.


First Deputy Premier Henry Kajura(R) receives copies of HIV/AIDS books from the author Dr. Stephen Watiti during HIV/AIDS awareness exercise at the ministry of public service headquarters in Kampala.

The HIV/AIDS activist argued that once the civil servants who are suffering from the disease get treatment inform of ARVs and are able to afford food nutrients and transport themselves they would remain productive hence improvement of service delivery in the country. 

He was addressing public officers at the Ministry of Public Service during HIV/AIDS awareness in Kampala.

Dr. Watiti encouraged civil servants to test for HIV so as start treatment early once found positive.

He also appealed to them to always carry condoms to avoid getting infected and infecting others.

"If you don't know you status, pick condoms. Unless you know your status you don't know what you are protecting. When you know your status you prevent new infections," Watiti who has made his status known to the public said.

Watiti who has lived with the disease close to 30 years rapped Ugandans who fear to go for HIV test saying they can't hide it no matter how long it takes their status would be known.

"You can't hide HIV/AIDs in your pocket or bra it will burn you," he said sending civil servants into laughter.

Watiti declared war against the epidemic using three approaches which are having zero infection, zero discrimination and zero deaths.


Jennifer Atoo a civil servant who clashed with Major. Rubaramira Ruranga during HIV/AIDS test exercise at the ministry of public service headquarters in Kampala

Dr. Peter Mudiope the head of HIV prevent at Uganda Aids Commission told the audience that the national HIV/AIDS prevalence stands at 7.3% while 630,000 Ugandans get infected annually.

He noted that out of 1.6million Ugandans who are infected with disease only 920,000 are on ARVs treatment.

He also emphasized the need for undertaking HIV/AIDS testing so that the Commission can plan adequately.

Mudiope explained that the importance of testing helps to avoid expiry of drugs or running shortage of it once the number of people who are infected are known.

 
Rurubaramira Ruranga addressing civil servants during HIV/AIDs testing exercise at the ministry of public service headquaters in Kampala

 The first Deputy Prime Minister Henry Kajura encouraged his staff to be ambassadors on HIV/AIDS campaign among the communities they live with.

"Let's not tire to educate other people about HIV/AIDS epidemic,"Kajura who took an HIV test said.

Meanwhile Major. Rubaramira Ruranga the board member of Uganda Aids Commission clashed with one of the officials in public service over whether prayer heals HIV/AIDS.

"There are preachers who are misleading the population that prayer heals HIV/AIDS, I don't agree. How do we handle such situation?" Ruranga asked.

Jennifer Atoo a civil servant stood up and rebutted the HIV/AIDS activist saying prayer works if the person being prayed for believes in God.

"It's true somebody can be healed after you have been prayed for and you need to follow the ways of God," Atoo said.

Over 100 civil servants undertook HIV test carried by Uganda Cares. End