Much as the Ugandan Population is today quoted as being around
24 million,having up to 80,000 of our pregnant women per year being
HIV positive is a very shocking story!.These represent only those
who attend antenatal services in the health centres/hospitals.How
about those who do not attend these services but opt to go to traditional
birth attendants?.
I think we have basked for too long as being the model country where
efforts to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS has yielded very good results
but with this type of Statistics,we really need to get back on even higher
gears to reduce the numbers even farther if we are to salvage our future
generation.
Thank you.
Kipenji.
===============================================================
|
'Uganda registers 80,000 HIV pregnant women annually'
By Rogers Mulindwa
September 29, 2003
|
Luwero - Uganda registers a total of 80,000 HIV positive pregnant women each year, the minister of health Brig Jim Muhwezi has said.
The number represents 6.5 percent of the estimated 1.2 million women who get pregnant in the country annually. This was contained in the minister's report, read out for him by his Permanent Secretary Mr. Mohammad Kezaala.
He was launching the Prevention of mother to child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) program in Luwero district on September 25. He said about 20% transmission of HIV to children occurs during pregnancy, approximately 60% during labour and delivery while 15% can be through breast-feeding.
The minister said, arrangements had been made to reduce the percentage of infant HIV infections to 20% by the year 2005.
The coordinator of the program in the district, Dr. Agnes Kobusingye said the studies done in several countries including Uganda indicated that the use of Nevirapine as an anti retro viral drug could lead to a significant reduction in the mother to child transmission of HIV by up to 50%.
She said, the mothers would be given a single dose at onset of labour and to the baby within 72 hours after delivery. The mothers under this category would not be allowed to breast-feed.
She said the newly born babies would be bathed within the first hour after delivery using warm water and soap or antiseptics. Plan- Uganda, a non-governmental organization operating in the district has so far released Shs70m to support the program.
The Lcv Secretary for health, Mr. Erasmus Musisi Mugerwa said the continued delays by the central government to release the PHC funds had always led to drug shortages in district health units.
|
� 2003 The Monitor Publications
|
|
|
Want to chat instantly with your online friends?�Get the FREE Yahoo!
Messenger
