Activists push for increased access to HIV/AIDS drugs

Activists in Uganda are campaigning for increased access to life-saving HIV/AIDS drugs, ahead of US President George W. Bush's visit to the country. Bush, who will be in Uganda for four hours on Friday as part of a continental visit, has pledged to spend US $15 billion to tackle the scourge of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Members of the Uganda Coalition for Access to Essential Medicines argued that, although Uganda has been hailed as a success story in the war against HIV/AIDS, doctors are still forced to turn many AIDS patients away because they lack the funds to purchase life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs. "A lot of funding has been put towards the fight against HIV/AIDS but there is very little to show for it on the ground," Ronald Kamara, a member of the coalition, told IRIN. "Drugs are still out of reach for people who need them." He added that only 10 percent of Uganda's HIV/AIDS patients currently had access to the drugs. Uganda has an estimated 1.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS, out of which 105,000 will need treatment in the next three to four years, according to figures from the Kampala-based Health Rights Action Group (HAG). This would require an annual budget cost of US $63 million, if each patient was to receive drugs at the current offer of US $600 for a year's treatment. "President Bush will see for himself the disaster a preventable terror has caused Uganda, a country with the largest number of HIV/AIDS orphans in the whole world," Milly Katana, an advocacy officer with HAG, said.