SHS2 TRILLION NEEDED TO FIGHT HIV – MINISTER

By Sandra Janet Birungi

Kampala. 
A total of Shs2.2 trillion will be required to fight HIV annually by 2016, state minister for Health has said.

Dr Elioda Tumwesigye while speaking at the stakeholder’s evaluation meeting on the Mayor’s campaign by Alliance of African Mayors’ initiative for Community action on Aids at the local level (AMICAALL), said the money would be spent on providing lifelong treatment for the already infected and buying of testing kits.

“With 16 people getting infected and six dying per hour from HIV related illnesses, HIV is still a big problem. If we manage to put more people on ARVs say 1.5 million, in 2016, we estimate we shall need approximately Shs2 trillion per year to cater for them. This is even more than the money currently allocated to the Health ministry,” Dr Tumwesigye explained.

According to Mr Musa Bungudu, the country representative of UNAIDS, the people who have the virus and are not on treatment are the ones spreading it most as opposed to those who know their status and are on drugs.

“About 700,000 infected people are not on treatment. If they test and are put on treatment, we shall start seeing more progress in our fight against HIV,” he said.

CREDIT SOURCE: DAILY MONITOR