The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Rukungiri, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda spends shillings 980 billion in caring for people living with HIV annually, according to the Uganda AIDS Commission.
Dr. Nelson Musoba, Director General of the Uganda AIDS Commission says that out of the total, shillings 700,000 is used to care for each victim per year in form of buying drugs and monitoring, to make sure that the drugs are effectively used.
Musoba says that so far, 1.4 million people in Uganda are living with HIV. Out of these, about 1.3 million are on drugs. Musoba attributes the high prevalence to poverty among the people.
Geoffrey Kyomukama, Rukungiri district LC5 chairman said that as of June 30 this year, Rukungiri district had 180,000 people living with HIV and all on drugs. Out of these, 63 percent are females and 37 percent are males.
Ten percent of the victims are below 24 years. Kyomukama used the same platform to ask President Yoweri Museveni to honor the promise of establishing a government hospital in Rukungiri district. According to Kyomukama, locals face serious disturbances while transferring patients to other districts.
In his speech as the Chief guest during World AIDS Day national celebrations at Rukungiri Municipal Stadium on Thursday, President Yoweri Museveni called for vigilance among members of the public to avoid contracting HIV.
Museveni said that people still contract HIV per year in Uganda, while 17,000 die per year. Museveni also said that Kalangala district leads in HIV cases in Uganda with 16 people out of 100 testing positive.
Other leading districts with high prevalence rates are Kyotera, Kabarole, Masaka, Gulu, Kalungu, Mbarara, Lira, Bushenyi, Wakiso, Kiruhura, Lyantonde, and Rukungiri.
Maracha district is the best with 1 person out of 100 testing positive.
Other districts with fewer cases of prevalence include; Bududa, Kibuku, Namisindwa, Amudat, Nakpiripirit, Terego, Napak, Palisa, Kotido, Karenga, and Kaabong.
Museveni used the same platform to thank the electorates of Rukungiri for denouncing opposition and voted for National Resistance Movement (NRM) party leaders in the 2021 general elections.
He also used the same platform to order leaders in Ntungamo and Sheema districts to remove all encroachers in Rusindura, Rwamabondo, and Kajara wetlands. He also asked other encroachers across the country to vacate the wetlands before they are forcefully evicted.
He also promised to honor the unfulfilled pledges, as there are still other projects to work on across the country.
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We are dying at high rate.
But tell me about Isingiro district