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
Fred Ouma
Dr. Elizabeth Namagala, a senior medical officer coordinating ART activities at the health ministry, on Friday told journalists in Kampala that the number of people in need of the drugs had risen from 120,000 to 160,000.
Currently, 86,000 patients access the drugs, of which 6,800 are children below 15 years.
"There are many people living with the virus and increasingly, their CD4 cells, which is a measure of whether one qualifies for anti-retroviral (ARVs) drugs, are becoming less everyday," Namagala said.
According to the World Health Organisation, for one to be eligible for ARVs, the CD4 cell count should be below 200. The normal CD4 cell mark ranges from 400 to 1,600.
Namagala said 33,000 people living with AIDS access ARVs under a Government programme supported by the World Bank and Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
She said others receive treatment under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Namagala said there are 250 treatment sites across the country to provide ART services.
Jane Kisito, the HIV counseling coordinator at the health ministry said 4.5 million Ugandans had been tested for HIV since 1990.
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