Community volunteers in Kasese get bicycles to reach out to HIV positive children

Kasese , Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Community volunteers in Kasese district have received a boost from Uganda Network of young people living with HIV.

The donation of bicycles comes at a time when volunteers have decried the lack of transport to reach out to their fellow peers who require Anti-Retroviral treatment.  

Due to lack of transport, some of the volunteers have been walking long distances to reach out to HIV positive children in mountainous areas.

Daphine Oluga Namukuza, the Country program director for UNYPA handed over the four bicycles to Kasese HIV focal person. 

They are to benefit young people who access their ART services from Kasese Municipal Centre III, Rukoki Health III, St. Paul HCIV and Kilembe Hospital. 

Namukuza says that due to the lockdown, young people living with HIV are likely to lose their drug adherence practices.

Samuel Kasimba, the Kasese District HIV focal person says it’s vital to ensure young people with the virus stay on their treatment as one measure in controlling new infections.

Deo Buswata, one of the volunteers who serve 86 HIV positive young persons says most of them were unable to pick medicine from the health facility during the lockdown due to lack of transport.  

Kasese has an estimated 500 young persons living with HIV with a total of 42 ART credited facilities.

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