ARV access pushes Uganda to number 14 in HIV/AIDS fight

WORLD AIDS DAY |

Uganda is now ranked among the 14 countries globally to have achieved the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDs (UNAIDS) target of 90-90-90, an ambitious treatment target coined by the UN to help end the AIDS epidemic.

The state minister for primary healthcare, Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, said in the last financial year, the number of adults and children on antiretroviral therapy increased from 86% to 89%, representing about 1,241,509 out of the 1.4 million people living with HIV.

"It is important to know that Uganda has made significant strides in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Uganda is ranked among the 14 countries globally to have achieved the UNAIDS second and third targets in the fight against HIV," Kaducu said. She made the remarks during a press conference ahead of the World AIDS Day commemoration yesterday at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala.

She added that antiretroviral therapy retention in the country increased from 76% to 78%.

"In 2019/20, there was an increase in the number of adults and children on ART, achieving 89% coverage (1,241,509/1,400,000) from 86% (1,198,445/1,393,445)," Kaducu said. She added that HIV-positive pregnant women receiving antiretroviral treatment for elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV during pregnancy, labour, delivery, and postpartum also increased to 94% (30,113/32,036) from 91%. Uganda yesterday joined the rest of the world to commemorate World AIDs Day under the theme, National solidarity, and a shared responsibility towards ending AIDS.

The health ministry officials said there has been a decline in new HIV infections in the country from 100,000 in 2015 to 53,413 in 2019.

The UNAIDS target is that by 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status; all people with diagnosed HIV will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy; and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.

Health facilities revamped

Kaducu also gave highlights of the health sector performance during the 2019/2020 financial year, noting that six health centre (HC) IVs were upgraded to hospital level.

These are Amuria HC IV in Amuria district, Kaberamaido HC IV in Kaberamaido district, Koboko HC IV in Koboko district, Kasana Luwero HC IV in Luwero district, Mukono HC IV in Mukono district, and Rukunyu HC IV in Kamwenge district. "There was a 24% increase in the percentage of health centre IVs that conduct caesarean sections and blood transfusion from 41% in 2015/16 to 51% in 2019/20," she said.

Kaducu said 10 HC IIIs were also upgraded to HC IVs. These include Karita, Nabiganda, Kawaala, Nyamirami, Toroma, Maracha, Rwebisengo, Rukungiri, Kajjansi, and Warr. Kayunga and Yumbe hospitals are to be upgraded to regional referral hospitals.

"The Government has also completed works for upgrading of the initial 124 HC IIs to IIIs, which commenced in the financial year 2018/19 and 29 out of the 62 HC IIs upgraded in financial 2019/20 under the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer Reform Programme," she said. Kaducu added that plans to upgrade all the 331 HC IIs without HC IIIs by end of the financial year 2021/2022 and start the construction of HC IIIs in the 134 sub-counties without any health facility are underway.

For Karamoja, Kaducu said the Italian government confirmed the offer of a soft loan of euros 10m (about sh44.2b) to cater for the construction, upgrading, renovation, and equipping of 33 health facilities in the sub-region.

World Bank

Cabinet recently approved additional funding from the World Bank under the International Development Association (IDA) for the construction of 134 health centre IIIs in sub-counties. It will also help in the renovation of 285 health centre IIIs countrywide.

 The funding will also help the Government to construct staff houses to accommodate the health workers in the upgraded health centre IIIs and the recruitment of at least 11, 000 health workers. In September, the World Bank approved $300m (about sh1.1 trillion) in additional financing to the Uganda Inter-governmental Fiscal Transfers Programme for Results (UgIFT) to boost service delivery in education, health, water, and environment.

According to a statement issued by the World Bank yesterday, the additional financing will enable UgIFT to be extended to two additional sectors — water and environment and small-scale irrigation — to "increase safe water coverage.