|
|
Uganda: 'Population Pressure Affecting Aids Fight'
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
New Vision (Kampala)
29 April 2008
Posted to the web 30 April 2008
Anne Mugisa
Kampala
UGANDA'S rapid population growth is making it hard for the country to effectively fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, according to the AIDS commission.
The director general, Dr. Kihumuro Apuuli, yesterday explained that mother-to-child transmission accounted for 22% of new infections.
He said 25% of the babies born to HIV-infected mothers contracted the virus.
"If we do not prevent new infections, we will be chasing a mirage."
Uganda population is estimated at about 30 million and the women on average bear seven children.
Kihumuro was briefing journalists on the forthcoming HIV/AIDS global implementers meeting slated for June 3-7, in Kampala.
He was flanked by the deputy Chief of Mission at the US embassy, Andrew Chritton and the UNICEF country representative, Keith Mckenzie.
"An estimated 1.1 million people are infected with HIV but 90% of them do not know that they are infected," Kihumuro said.
He lamented the recklessness among people expecting that a drug to treat AIDS would soon be found in addition to the anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs).
The AIDS commission, he noted, had drawn a five-year strategic plan emphasising prevention as opposed to treatment, adding that more that 30,000 new infections were occurring in the country annually.
|
Kihumuro said HIV-related deaths had risen to 100,000 last year from 72,000 a few years ago when the national sero-prevalence survey was conducted and this showed a 30% increase.
There was need to increase the number of people on anti-retroviral therapy, he observed.
"There are 120,000 people on anti-retroviral drugs out of an estimated 240,000 who need it. We intend make the drugs available to 300,000 people. "
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
