The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) has reported low compliance among government entities and departments in contributing 0.1% of their annual budgets toward the fight against HIV/AIDS.
According to Dr. Vincent Bagambe, the Director of Planning and Strategic Information at UAC, the country needs two trillion shillings annually to implement all programs related to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.
However, the government only contributes Shs300 billion towards this cause. Although the directive to have 0.1% of government agencies’ budgets remitted towards HIV control and prevention activities was intended to decrease the country’s dependence on foreign aid gradually, the country still relies on donors for 90% of its HIV response.
Furthermore, some entities are not making their annual contributions, which is concerning, given the recent introduction of the anti-homosexuality law in Uganda. At a recent science café organized by the Health Journalists Network in Uganda, Dr. Mary Borgman, the coordinator of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), stated that she could not disclose how much funding Uganda would receive this year.
However, she emphasized that PEPFAR’s goal is to provide access to HIV treatment for everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.Even if PEPFAR were to donate newer treatments, such as the carbotegravir injection for HIV prevention, Uganda would still need to mobilize funds for the procurement of consumables required for the injections.
Bagambe acknowledges that raising domestic funding for HIV is challenging, and even with the 0.1% funding directive, UAC struggles to follow and verify how different HIV-related interventions are funded by entities. To prevent mismatches or misallocation of HIV funds to unrelated activities, the Ministry of Finance created a code, but officials often claim ignorance.
Consequently, UAC is working with the Equal Opportunities Commission to scrutinize budgets and ensure that the funds are utilized as intended. Uganda’s HIV response relies heavily on donor support, and low compliance among government entities to contribute to HIV control and prevention activities raises concerns.
While PEPFAR aims to provide access to HIV treatment for everyone, domestic funding for HIV remains a challenge, and better accountability measures are required to ensure that funds are used appropriately.