Michael Ochwoo, the Centre Manager for TASO Gulu says several persons living with HIV who could not afford transport at the time of the lockdown were forced to abandon treatment.
The Aids Support Organization Gulu Regional Care Centre-TASO has
enrolled back 200 people on treatment who abandoned treatment due to the
covid-19 lock down.
Michael Ochwoo, the Centre Manager for TASO Gulu says several
persons living with HIV who could not afford transport at the time of the
lock down were forced to abandon treatment.
Ochwoo says that 200 people have so far been traced and linked for
care and treatment again.
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He also revealed that the centre was able to get 250 people
who tested positive during the period of lock down and enrolled them on
treatment which brings together 8,950 on treatment at the Centre.
Betty Okeer Owot, the Council Representative of HIV Positive Living at TASO
says the center has introduced community drug distribution services to improve
on their drug supply.
She has however urged people on treatment to maintain drugs adherence to avoid
developing other health complications like multi drug resistance and deaths
among others.
However, according to the 2019 annual report by TASO Gulu Branch, the center lost
54 people who were on care and treatment.
The 2019 report on Health by Gulu District Local Government indicates that the
District has 27,000 HIV Positive Living with the prevalence of the infection
standing at 8.4 percent.
In the report, Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, the LCV Chairperson Gulu District says
there is a projection of 5,000 new cases of the annual HIV infections in the
District.
The report further shows that retention on HIV care and treatment
in the District reduced from 80 percent to 72 percent in the subsequent year
against the projected target of 95 percent.
Simon Wokorach
Freelancer