Prime
Aga Khan partners with govt to fight HIV
What you need to know:
- Ms Daya said the programme received funding from the European Union for psychosocial support and boost adherence to anti-retroviral treatment through providing relief food among people living with HIV/Aids.
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) has announced a programme for increasing adherence to anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment as the government races to end HIV/Aids as a public health threat by 2030.
Uganda has made significant progress in testing and enrolling people in treatment, but the adherence to medication has remained low, partly due to lack of food and stigma, according to the Uganda Aids Commission (UAC).
Speaking yesterday at the handover of food commodities and bicycles to persons living with HIV/Aids, Ms Hasina Daya, the AKDN country office manager, said they are running a programme to support HIV/Aids intervention in the country.
“There was evidence that there were not enough resources for this community and we felt we needed to serve that need right at this moment. This programme is 58,000 euros (Shs228m) and this will go to serve 2,000 people around Arua District, Arua City and Kampala,” she said.
Ms Daya said the programme received funding from the European Union for psychosocial support and boost adherence to anti-retroviral treatment through providing relief food among people living with HIV/Aids.
Ms Stella Kentutsi, the executive director of National Forum of People Living with HIV/Aids Networks Uganda (NAFOPHANU), while receiving the commodities, said Covid-19 induced poverty and shortage of food is still having enormous effects on their members.
“The nutritional support comes in handy as persons living with HIV need to take their ARVs at the right time and dosage. Good adherence to medication boosts immunity to fight diseases including Covid-19,” she said.
Ms Kentutsi added: “The country is battling Covid-19 and HIV pandemics that all of us must put join hands to fight. Amongst the challenges is inability to access food, psychosocial support and treatment, among others.”
She said they received 6,660 kilogrammes of posho, 1,998 kilogrammes of rice, 3,330 kilogrammes of beans, 20 bicycles, salt, sanitisers and face masks, among others. The bicycles will be used for sensitisation purposes.
Dr Stephen Watiti, the board chair of NAFOPHANU, applauded the AKDN and asked the government to come up with clear ways of boosting the food production among persons living with HIV/Aids.
Ms Hope Murungi, the UAC coordinator for the private sector and civil society, said the contribution of partners like AKDN is important because government cannot provide everything.
Ms Murungi said supporting adherence to ARV medication is important “for people to live longer and take care of their families.”
According to UAC, up to 22,000 deaths that occurred in Uganda in 2020 were AIDS-related, a slight increase from 21,000 reported in the previous year.
