HIV/AIDS drugs for patients in Uganda

The government of Uganda has acquired anti-retroviral medicine for 350,000 patients with HIV/AIDS, it has been reported.

According to New Vision, the government wants to add treatment for 200,000 patients to the 150,000 already receiving drugs under the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) programme.

Mr Mallinga highlighted the fact that only 25 per cent of Ugandans were aware of their HIV status and that a key function of the expanded package of health measures would be to impress upon everyone the importance of getting tested.

Speaking at the launch of the Routine Counselling and Testing Service at Masaka hospital, health minister Stephen Mallinga told journalists: "We need more CD4 count machines because they are crucial for increasing the enrolment for the ART programme."

According to the World Health Organisation, Uganda currently has anywhere between 350,000 and 880,000 people living with HIV/AIDS under the age of 50, which represents between 2.8 and 6.6 per cent of that age group.

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