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Health activists decry high prices of HIV/AIDS drugs
Some of the locals that turned up for the medical camp organised by Uganda Cares in Masaka on Wednesday. Photo | Malik Fahad Jjingo
What you need to know:
- The concern has been raised by Dr Augustine Lubanga, the National Medical Director of Uganda Cares during a medical camp organized at Kasana playground in Masaka on Wednesday.
Health activists have raised concern over the high prices of drugs and materials used in testing and treatment of HIV/AIDS in Uganda.
The concern has been raised by Dr Augustine Lubanga, the National Medical Director of Uganda Cares during a medical camp organized at Kasana playground in Masaka on Wednesday.
He said that the prices are greatly affecting the efforts put in to fight the spread of the virus, asking the government to subsidize the revenue charges on medical supplies in the country.
“The cost of the drugs is so high, and we are still demanding that the cost goes down. By the time we started to treat 100 clients in 2002, the monthly cost of ARVS was about Shs1m and when you convert a million that time to the money now it’s about Shs3 million. We need the pharmaceutical companies and all stakeholders to do whatever it takes to see that the cost is lowered so that the drugs can be accessed by people in low developing countries,” Dr Lubanga said.
He said that though they are trying to extend medical services to several parts of the country, they are challenged by the current economic situation in the county which has left several people stuck with what to eat which may stop them from taking drugs.
“We want the government to expedite the process of operationalization of the National Aids Trust Fund such that we can get the money to buy medical supplies, not necessarily depending on the donors who contribute about 75 per cent,” Dr Lubanga said.
Dr Cecelia Natembo, the Uganda Cares Masaka Centre medical director, said: “The medical camp offered health services to locals ranging from malaria treatment, HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, cough and flu, and cervical cancer testing among other health services.”
According to Uganda AIDS Commission, there were 38,000 new infections and 20,000 deaths in just 2020.
“80 per cent of the people living with HIV know their status which is a step in the right direction as we move closer to 2030. However, getting to the point when there are no new infections is a tall order. We need to look for the remaining 20 per cent so they also start treatment,” Dr Daniel Byamukama, the head of HIV Prevention at Uganda AIDS Commission, said during one of the events to mark 20 years of AIDS Health Foundation (AHF) - Uganda Cares operation in Uganda.
