The US Ambassador to Uganda, Scott DeLisi, has said that his government is committed to working together with the government of Uganda to achieve the goal of an AIDS-free generation.
Speaking at the launch of Elimination of mother to child transmission (eMTCT) Option B+ at Itojo playground in Ntungamo district in western Uganda, the Ambassador said that this financial year alone, the American people - through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) - have invested 40 million US dollars to accelerate EMCT services in Uganda.
“The launch of Option B+ marks the beginning of a new wave of energy and momentum to recommit a partnership dedicated to HIV prevention, care and treatment,” he said.
He said that many Ugandan children born of HIV positive mothers are healthy children and HIV-free because of prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT)interventions.
DeLisi said that for more than two decades, PMTCT has proved to be one of the best HIV prevention methods available, adding that it’s a powerful tool that has already benefited millions of children worldwide. “Our ultimate aim is that for the first time in decades, this nation will be blessed with an entire generation of Ugandan children born free of the scourge of HIV.”
He noted that HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age in Uganda. It is estimated that nearly 1.4 million Uganda are living with HIV and each year 98,000 pregnant women are at risk of transmitting HIV to their babies.
“Without any intervention, as many as 30,000 babies in Uganda will be born HIV positive this year. Without access to quality care and life saving drugs, about 10,000 of these HIV infected children will die before their first birthday and over 15,000 will die by the age of two,” he said.
The Ambassador said that over 450,000 women living with HIV want family planning services but don’t have access to these services. Behind these figures, he said, lie countless human tragedies, real stories of grieving parents, orphaned children devastated communities and spiraling poverty.
“We know successful prevention of mother to child HIV transmission is possible, newborn lives can be saved and communities can thrive,” he added. He explained that many countries have almost eliminated mother to child HIV transmission through a concerted effort and effective intervention. “That can be Uganda’s story as well. And it must be Uganda’s story because no baby should ever be born with HIV. There is no excuse for it in Uganda or around the world.”
He said that there is a need to increase the investment in maternal and child health in order to improve the healthcare of every Ugandan by ensuring that all women of reproductive age , regardless of HIV status, are able to access family planning services if and when they need them.
The Minister of Health, Dr Christine Ondoa, said that eMTCT Option B+ promotes antiretroviral treatment for life for all HIV positive pregnant women and that Option B+ keeps HIV infected mothers alive and healthy, reducing orphan hood, reducing transmission of HIV to the negative spouse in a discordant relationship, improving adherence and treatment and contributing towards Millennium Development Goals 3, 4, 5 and 6.
The director of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Dr Edward Bitarakwate, explained that previously a woman was given ARV during labour only which he said has increased drug resistance especially when the woman conceives again.
“If a woman is HIV positive and pregnant or breastfeeding, we start her on treatment so that her health can improve and reduce the risks of her babies being infected,” he said.
The Chairman of the Uganda AIDS Commission, Professor Vinand Nutulya, called upon Ugandans and parents to to protect the young generation. “You should play your role in guiding and protecting our young generation to withstand pressures to engage in behaviours and practices that expose them to HIV infection. Parents must do more to demand protection of our young girls from the menace of older men who exploit our generation sexually using all sorts of coercion and end up infecting them.
“Society must speak up against it and you are part of that society. We need also to protect our young generation from the now rising trend of exposure to pornography and wrong information through irresponsible mass media,” he added.
Janet Museveni, Uganda’s First Lady who is also champion of the Organization of African First Ladies Against AIDS, said that the country must wake up and eliminate HIV. “We must fight back and eliminate the scourge. We did it in the 1990s when HIV prevalence was at 30 percent and it came down to 6 percent and I believe we can do much better and get rid of this enemy,” she said.
