The Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, has slammed the New Vision newspaper for falsely reporting that the government was closing HIV/AIDS clinics following the suspension of funding from USAID.
According to Dr. Baryomunsi, who also serves as the Cabinet Spokesperson, the New Vision’s front-page headline on Monday, “Why Gov’t is Closing All HIV Clinics,” was misleading and raised questions about the newspaper’s reporting standards.
“The details clearly showed that the government is integrating the HIV clinics into the general services at health facilities to ensure that there are no disruptions in HIV/AIDS management, but the headline says something else. I think this is a little bit of irresponsible reporting,” Dr. Baryomunsi said during today’s press briefing at White Horse Inn, in Kabale District.
The minister further stated that the U.S. government had clarified that the recent executive order by President Donald Trump suspending USAID operations would not affect HIV drugs and treatment for those living with HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Baryomunsi emphasized that even if all donors pulled out of supporting HIV treatment programs in Uganda, the government was ready to fill the gaps. “Even if they cut the funding for treatment for HIV/AIDS, we shall reorganize the national budget to ensure that the treatment doesn’t stop.”
He reiterated that the government would prioritize the health of its citizens over other expenditures, even if it meant halting projects like road construction or cutting salaries of government employees. “We have over 1 million Ugandans enrolled on ARVs, and we cannot let them die simply because donors have withdrawn their funding. Even if it means stopping construction of roads or cutting salaries of government employees, we shall do it.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has confirmed that at least 1,000 individuals have lost their jobs following the recent executive order by President Trump, which led to a freeze on aid to several countries, including Uganda.
Despite the job losses, Dr. Diana Atwine, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, said that they had already analyzed the human resource gap and quantified the necessary funding. “This will be part of a memo that the Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, will present to the Cabinet.”
Dr. Atwine added that the organizations affected by the funding freeze were handling the situation, and some individuals who qualify would be given priority for future opportunities.
The U.S. government had been contributing approximately $300 million annually for antiretroviral (ARV) medicines, laboratory supplies, and human resources, while the Ugandan government spends around Shs50 billion to procure ARVs.
“PEPFAR was buying ARVs for the private sector, including Mission hospitals, while Uganda’s government directly provided them for public facilities. About 40 percent of our patients, roughly 400,000 people, access medicines from private healthcare providers. This is why we must ensure continuity of care for those who were served by PEPFAR-supported staff,” Dr. Atwine explained.
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