NMS needs additional sh8bn for Hepatitis B Vaccines

The National Medical Stores (NMS) has appealed to the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga to engage the ministry of finance to release additional sh8bn to purchase Hepatitis B vaccines.

The appeal was made by the executive director of the National Medical Stores (NMS), Moses Kamabaale, in a meeting with the Speaker who was accompanied by chairpersons of various committees of Parliament at the medical stores in Entebbe on Monday.

'NMS requested for a supplementary budget of sh11bn for buying additional vaccines for treating the condition said to have spread to over 30 districts but only sh3bn  was released living a balance of sh8bn.

'As a result, drugs have not been purchased this quarter and yet they are meant to be delivered by the end of this month for patients to complete their doses.

If we don't get money for the vaccines, patients will miss out completely. Some patients are taking their second doses, others are starting and some are getting the third dosage, so we cannot afford to let them suffer," he said.

Hepatitis B is the inflammation of the liver which comes with a number of symptoms including yellowing of eyes. Globally Viral Hepatitis is the commonest cause of liver cancer accounting to 83% of liver cancer cases.

The ministry of health last year started a mass Hepatitis B vaccination exercise for people aged 14 and 30 years, targeting five million people from thirty districts across the country. Three million people from Northern Uganda and an additional two million people from other districts which are at risk of acquiring the virus.

About 3.5 million people are living with Hepatitis B in the country. Of these 2.7% are in North East, 19.4 % in North central and 10% in West Nile among others.

Among the districts affected with Hepatitis B include Gulu, Kitgum, Lira, Arua, Adjumani, Yumbe, Moyo, Kasese, Ngora, Bukedea and Amuria among others.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Hepatitis B prevalence is highest in sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia, where between 5-10% of the adult population is chronically infected.

Treatment of Hepatitis B is composed of three injections. For one to completely cure, patients must get all the three injections, the second injection should be administered a month after the first and the last injection should be administered six months after the first dose.

In response,the speaker of parliament said the matter will be taken up by members of parliament and a solution will be found so people can get their vaccines and continue with treatment.

Abdu Kantuntu, the chairperson of the COSASE in Parliament said Hepatitis B is an urgent matter which will be addressed shortly as soon as they get to parliament.

He also added that parliament will subject the ministry of finance to an audit inquiry to explain why they fail to release supplementary funds meant for urgent issues like health even after parliament has approved them.

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