By ELLY NYESIGA & BEINOMUGISHA JONAN
Media practitioners have been challenged to be the key players and advocates in fighting against the spread of HIV/AID in this covid-19 induced lockdown.
This was sounded by DR Stephen Watiti senior HIV Specialist during an online webinar cafe organised by Health journalist network Uganda aiming at assessing the Impact of covid-19 on HIV response in Uganda.
Dr Watiti revealed that the spread of HIV is likely to increase in this period of pandemic if the effective information sharing on HIV is not spearheaded by the media.
He revealed that due to the lockdown, there is fear that HIV drug adherence will reduce as most patients find it difficult to access health centres.
Jariah Nabukenya from TASO Mbarara noted that they are now trying to deliver drugs to some of their patients but they are hampered by security operatives who sometimes block or delay them in the way.
Nabukenya is also worried over lack of food to some patients, noting that it is hard to take HIV drugs on an empty stomach calling upon the government to speed up the relief program.
In his remarks, Kenneth Mwehonge the health policy advocacy at The Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS-Uganda) asked the people living with HIV/AIDS to strictly observe the SOPS as the available information shows that HIV patients are at high risk of dying of covid19 if contracted.
According to the available statistics, the HIV Prevalence among adults aged 15 to 64 in Uganda is 6.2% as 7.6% are females and 4.7% are males.
This corresponds to approximately 1.2 million people aged 15 to 64 living with HIV in Uganda.
