Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision (Kampala) - November 24, 2006
Elvis Basudde
"And even after discharging him, he had to be on an oxygen cylinder for some months, because he could not breath without it. We had to take oxygen to his home and train his caretaker how to administer it to him," Dr. Victor Musiime, a paediatician, told The New Vision. Though Kiwanuka was slowly weaned off the oxygen, 10 months latter, the oxygen cylinder still lies at his home in Masulita for emergency.
Dr. Musiime says Kiwanuka was born with HIV. His mother passed away shortly after his birth. Circumstances surrounding his father are not clear.
"The virus severely affected him before he was started on treatment, leading to very extensive chest infection which affected his lungs. This has also retarded his growth," says Musiime.
Now at 14, Kiwanuka does not look his age. He has the body of a seven-year-old.
However, his thinking and all his activities are of a mature person. He looks healthy and can do many things, as a result of being integrated in his community. He has a private tutor at his home. Musiime says Kiwanuka is now perfectly stable. "His immunity is very good and the virus is undetectable in his blood. He has done very well on the antiretroviral drugs, which have suppressed the virus from his blood."
About his current state, Kiwanuka says: "I was told I nearly died when I was young. I owe my life to the kind doctors of the JCRC and to the antiretrovirals.
"My mother passed away when I was a toddler and I have never seen my father. I stay with my paternal grandparents in Masulita. Thanks JCRC for giving HIV infected children a another lease of life."
AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death among children below five years, with virtually all paediatric AIDS being vertically transmitted from mother to child. Kiwanuka is among the over 1,700 children infected with HIV (from birth to 18 years) whose lives have been changed and improved through general medical care provided by JCRC.
Access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is very important for people living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda. JCRC, a centre of excellence that was started in 1990 to address the HIV pandemic, spearheaded provision of ARVs here.
With its headquarters in Mengo, JCRC has a nation-wide distribution and recruits children everyday. It has over 44 centres providing voluntary counselling and testing (VCT), ART and treatment of opportunistic infections.
Prof. Peter Mugenyi, the director of the centre, says their main challenge is getting the children started on ART, as their guardians and caretakers show little interest while others may not afford the services.
The other challenge is integrating the children back into the society because of stigma associated with AIDS.
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