The UNAIDS Director of the Regional Support Team for East and Southern Africa, Prof. Sheila Tlou, has appealed to Uganda’s First Lady Janet Kataaha Museveni to champion prevention of pediatric HIV infections.
South Africa-based Tlou, who arrived in the country on Tuesday for a two-day working visit was meeting Mrs Museveni, who is also the minister for Karamoja Affairs and Ruhaama county Member of parliament at State House Nakasero .
Tlou said that there is a need to champion for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT.
She said that Ugandans should strive to keep the mothers alive so that we do not create more orphans and she added that should also enroll them on antiretroviral therapy as soon as possible so that they can safely continue breastfeeding and ensure that the babies are healthy.
Tlou commended Museveni on her programmes among the youths, which have greatly reduced HIV prevalence and new infections in this group.
Speaking at the same meeting, the Director General Uganda AIDS Commission, Dr David Kihumuro Apuuli noted that 150,000 children below 15 years in Uganda are HIV positive, with 98,000 needing treatment but only 24,000 are accessing it. Of the ones on treatment, 38% do not return after being diagnosed or after the first treatment.
Apuuli also noted that adults, who should be an example to the youths are the ones contributing to over 50% of new infections majorly because of multiple concurrent partnerships.
The first lady Janet Museveni decried complacency calling on government leaders to ‘re-energize their efforts in the prevention Hiv/aids.
She said that the anti Hiv/aids campaign relaxed and people forgot that HIV is still with us and she observed the need to continue drumming HIV prevention messages, especially regarding PMTCT, so that people wake up.
Janet Museveni also commended UNAIDS work in Uganda, regretted that she has been sidetracked with additional responsibilities but committed to lead the fight.
“My traditional area was the youths. But now I’m scattered. It has really distracted me from my calling but I know we really have a challenge. I’m willing to come back on board,” janet museveni pledged.
Tlou’s visit to Uganda is to engage in high level advocacy with GoU leadership, to revitalize the national HIV and AIDS response in the context of getting to: Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS-related deaths with special focus to Elimination of Mother To Child Transmission.
Tlou was accompanied to the meeting by the Minister of Health Dr Christine Andoa, Apuuli, and the head of the AIDS Control Programme in the Ministry Of Health Dr Zainab Akol. Also present were the UN Resident Coordinatorand UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Theophane Nikyema, UNICEF Representative Dr. Sharad Sapra, and UNAIDS Country Coordinator Musa Bungudu.
News Release:
UNAIDS is an innovative joint venture of the United Nations, bringing together the efforts and resources of the UNAIDS Secretariat and ten UN system organizations to respond to AIDS.
