As health experts and activists continue to urge HIV positive people to swallow their medication every day, there is now a new growing concern among the HIV positive patients where are good number of them are now registering resistance against the ARV drugs they take daily.According to community HIV/AIDS activists, Moses Super Charger and Richard Serunkuma, HIV patients in the country are on 1st and 2nd line HIV drugs but now scratching of heads by experts has grown as over 1000 positive clients have registered drug resistance which now calls for better drugs which they say are expensive. Super charger mentions that these patients are supposed to be put on 3rd line treatment which costs UGX.700,000 per month something that an average Ugandan cannot afford and worries emerge that new infections and death are likely to happen.
HIV positive patients and activists are also asking government to think about re-stocking health facilities across the country with ARVs and TB drugs to facilitate massive treatment. According to the activists and patients, the stock out is causing negative health impacts to HIV positive clients as they fear for increased death and new infections which in the end will force government to cough more money to treat and sustain patients on drugs.
At the launch of a new HIV combating campaign, the board chairman, National Forum of People Living with HIV/AIDS Network in Uganda (NAFOPHANU), Fred Barongo, said this is one of those global targets set by UNAIDS geared at having 90% of all people living with HIV knowing their status and those diagnosed with the disease be put on treatment with the target to close by 2030. The HIV positive clients are strongly calling on government to run to their rescue by providing more drugs and sustainable treatment across the country just to achieve the set target.
In a related development health experts and activists continue to urge HIV positive people to swallow their medication every day.