PEPFAR celebrates ten years of existence

By Mary Kansiime

President’s Emergence Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) has celebrated 10 years of its existence in the country, helping and supporting  HIV/AIDs victims.

As part of their celebrations on Monday, PEPFAR together with Mildmay (its beneficiary) carried out a number of voluntary activities including painting the Kisakye youth center for adolescents clinic.

The children’s ward for outpatients department was also painted.

According to Barbara Mukasa, the executive director of Mildmay Uganda, in the year 2000, ARVs were very expensive and unaffordable or most HIV/AIDs victims, especially in the rural areas.

“But now with the existence of PEPFAR which helps to access treatment of HIV in Uganda and selected HIV service organization like Mildmay, more measures have been put in place to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDs scourge in the country,” she said.

According to Mukasa, about 6O, 000 people have been supported by PEPFAR, through Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to reduce on the spread of HIV/AIDs.

“There are more than 25,000 Children infected with Aids, with 4,000 in 16 districts across center region,” Mukasa added.  

Mukasa further noted that unborn babies can be prevented from acquiring HIV once HIV/AIDs pregnant mothers starts treatment in time.

She also encouraged all Ugandans to get tested and be sure of their status, as one of the ways of combating on the spread of the scourge.