More TB drugs for Uganda

  1. Posted on Saturday 28 March 2009 - 10:12
    mugira
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    Mugira, AfricaNews reporter in Kampala, Uganda
    Uganda's Director General of health services, Sam Zaramba said the prevailing T.B drug shortage will end soon. "The Ministry of Health and our counterparts in Finance met and resolved to provide for $1.4 billion to stock the T.B drugs in health units after two week that drug shortage will be solved," he said.
    XDR_TB
    Dr. Zaramba was addressing residents of Kalungu in Masaka District during his fact finding tour of the health centers and hospitals.

    He advised the districts to in the meantime use the Primary Health Care (PHC) funds to access T.B drugs for clients in health units. “In two weeks time, the T.B drug stock out crisis will be over but in the meantime the districts should use the PHC funds to get the drugs in the units,” he said.

    Dr Zaramba added that government agreed that the Finance Ministry takes over the procurement of drugs for T.B, Malaria and the HIV/AIDS related diseases. “The crisis was because of the Global Funds problems but we have agreed that the Ministry of Finance should handle the matter and about 3 billion shillings have been allocated for the availability of the drugs,” he said.

    Dr Zaramba noted President Museveni had directed him to visit the health units and hospitals to ensure that they are fully facilitated to effectively serve the rural populations. “We have already received a cabinet memo to affect the Presidents directive on increasing the welfare of health workers,” he said.

    Meanwhile the Health Minister, Dr. Stephen Malinga said about sixty percent of the TB patients in Uganda’s health units have been found with HIV/AIDS as well.

    In an interview, Dr Malinga said Tuberculosis infection rates in Uganda have increased due to shortage of required human resources to control it and lack of community awareness in some instances.

    This comes as experts are calling on government to push for a combination of HIV/AIDS and TB treatment for effective management of the two diseases.

    A new research released this week revealed alarming rates for HIV/AIDS in public workplaces in Uganda.

    The Chief of ‘Spear’ a civil social organization, that supports public workplaces to expand action and response to HIV/AIDS, Moses Dombo said that according to their research, HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is high in Uganda police according to the recent survey with 10 percent compared to other public workplaces were the prevalence is at 6.4 percent.

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