Drug Stock Out & Changing Dosage Concerns HIV Clients In UgandaÂ

By.Damba Rogers                               Â

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HIV positive clients in Uganda are strongly concerned with the continuing drug stock out which has now seen medical officers alternate their medication every time they go to health facilities to pick their medication.

According to the HIV/AIDS clients from greater Masaka fronted by, Daniel Kawooya, Lukwago Joseph, and Nabiryo Teddy, the stock out have been going on since June this year with most clients now losing hope in collecting their drug dozes from the respective health centers.

The clients who were shading tears further reveal that currently health centers are only providing drugs that last for a maximum of two weeks which makes life very difficult for those who travel long distances to collect drugs from health centers adding that this has created worries among clients with some now not religiously taking their medication pausing a threat to their adherence.

With most of the HIV clients being bread winners of their respective families, they are now worried that if this continues their lives will be at stakes as they will then not be able to search for ends meet for their families.

However, Mwijukye Julius a health worker in Kalisizo and Dr.John Ssali the national medical director at Uganda cares warns govt about the dangers of the country having drug stock outs saying this in the long run will increase HIV prevalence as CD4 counts for patients are always lowering which then pauses a health danger to the clients and the communities that they interact with sexually.

Dr. Ssali further notes that Uganda Cares has 9200  HIV clients on their programme across the country with the bigger number on first line treatment, second line treatment which costs them UGX.483 million and third line costing them UGX.37 million every quarter of a financial year.

With Uganda having over 1.3M HIV clients and over 900,000 currently on treatment the stock out of drugs like, Abacavir, Atanazavir, Nevirapine 500mg and Lopinavir125mg leaves their lives in balance and now they are calling on govt to consider prioritizing drug procurement to save lives of innocent Ugandans if the country is to still attain her 90+90+90 target by 2030

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