By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa/ Umoja Standard.
Kampala, Uganda: The recent decision by the US government to freeze funding for global HIV programs has sent shockwaves through Uganda’s health sector, particularly in the area of preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV.
According to Lillian Mworeko, Executive Director of the International Community of Women living with HIV Eastern Africa, the funding freeze has already started to have a devastating impact on PMTCT services in Uganda.
“As we speak, most of the services that were funded through US funding and government have been stopped,” Mworeko said. “This means that access to services, including prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, has been severely affected.”
Mworeko noted that the majority of women living with HIV in Uganda access PMTCT services through antenatal clinics. However, with the funding freeze, many of these clinics have been forced to stop providing these services.
“This has a direct impact on women, particularly those who are pregnant,” Mworeko said. “If they are not able to access PMTCT services, they may not know their HIV status, and if they are HIV-positive, they may not receive the necessary treatment to prevent transmission to their babies.”
Mworeko warned that the consequences of the funding freeze will be severe, particularly for women and children. “We are likely to see a surge in HIV infections among children, which will undermine all the progress we have made in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV,” she said.
Uganda has made significant progress in recent years in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. According to the Ministry of Health, the country has reduced the rate of mother-to-child transmission of HIV from 30% in 2000 to less than 5% in 2020.
However, Mworeko noted that this progress is now under threat due to the funding freeze. “We urge the US government to reconsider its decision and restore funding for these critical programs,” she said.
Mworeko also called on the Ugandan government to prioritize domestic funding for HIV programs, including PMTCT services. “We need to invest in our own citizens and take care of our own health needs,” she said.
The funding freeze has sparked widespread concern among health experts and advocates in Uganda, who warn that it will have far-reaching consequences for the country’s HIV response. As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the lives and well-being of thousands of Ugandans, particularly women and children, hang in the balance.