Govt asks donors not to cut HIV/Aids funds

The Health Ministry has appealed to donors not to cut funds for HIV/Aids fight, saying the intention is inhumane and would severely affect people living with the virus.

Ms Anifa Kawooya, the State Minister for Health in charge of General Duties, made the appeal to the United States (US) government and United Nations (UN) representatives last Friday in Kampala.

Ms Kawooya was representing the Health Ministry at the Candle Light Memorial Day, an event held annually to remember those killed by HIV/Aids and the strides made in stopping the scourge.

“We may have funds cut in other places,” the State Minister told UN and US representatives. “But let us not cut funds for the Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV) to access the drugs.”

Ms Kawooya said the donors should continue working with the government to consolidate the gains made in reducing HIV/AIDS infections and deaths.

“Ministry of Health depends on you [donors/US government] 80 percent, we shall work together. We shall together to find a solution together. I appeal to each and everybody, our strong cooperation in this area should continue and we work together to save a life,” she said.

The State Minister was reacting to the speech by Ms Mary Borgman, the country coordinator for the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and that of the UN resident coordinator, Ms Susan Ngongi Namondo. 

The country annually, according to Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) requires at least Shs1 trillion to test, provide drugs and monitor 1.4 million Ugandans living with HIV/Aids.

But of the Shs1 trillion, the 2022 report from Parliament shows, 8 percent is provided by the government, 8 percent by the private sector while donors like the US government contributed 84 percent.

Speaking at the same event, Ms Borgman, re-echoed last month’s warning to the country over the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, 2023 (AHA) which has been passed by Parliament again after the President returned it for reconsideration.

“Due to the uncertainty over the Anti-Homosexuality Bill,” the PEPFAR coordinator said, “We recently took a step to postpone a consultative meeting to plan for the upcoming PEPFAR assistance.”

The indefinite deferral of this meeting, Ms Sarah Netalisire, the chairperson of the parliamentary Committee on HIV/Aids, warned last month, “would disrupt the distribution of drugs to this country.”

Ms Borgman said at last Friday’s event that the Bill if signed into law, will “further marginalise and stigmatise the LGBTQ+ (gay) community” and impact Uganda’s “reputation” as a leader in health.

Uganda is racing to end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, an ambitious goal that the UAC Director General, Dr Nelson Musoba said the government would achieve through a concerted effort with donors.

Ms Borgman however said the US government is willing to continue funding Uganda, a position Dr Musoba also told this publication the US government affirmed to them.

The prevalence of HIV among LGBTQ+ community, according government statistics, is at around 13 percent, higher than the national average of 6 percent.

Dr Stephen Watiti, the  chairman of the National Forum of People Living with HIV/Aids Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU), told this reporter earlier that: “When we first heard about HIV in the 1980s, it was called gay-related immuno-deficiency virus or syndrome. But the majority of people who have HIV here are not homosexuals but to my knowledge, some people who had sex with men, they had a higher risk of contracting HIV.”

However, Dr Watiti, said: “From a public health point of view, we need to help people when they come for help, but not to make it difficult to come out because this will make them pass the virus to others since some of them sleep with men and women.”

According to the Bill, anybody who encourages or promotes homosexuality commits an offence.

Ms Namondo, the UN resident coordinator, in Friday’s event, warned that Uganda cannot end HIV/Aids without addressing stigma and discrimination.

“Denial of care for PLHIV is common. The Anti Homosexuality Bill might exacerbate this problem and we should put efforts to make sure this doesn’t happen,” she said, congratulating President Museveni for past successes in fighting HIV.

Ms Borgman said that in Uganda alone, HIV treatment supported by PEPFAR, the government of Uganda and Global fund and development partners, has prevented almost “500,000 estimated HIV infections.”

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