KAKUMIRO, March 26 (DN) – HIV patients in Kakumiro district are raising urgent alarms over what they describe as devastating government neglect in the wake of the United States’ suspension of aid to Uganda. Stripped of access to critical, life-saving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), many victims now face an unimaginable reality—forced to either go without treatment or resort to expired medications, putting their health and lives in grave danger.
One such victim, a woman in her 60s who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, shared her distress with DailyNile in an exclusive interview. “I have gone five days without taking my ARVs,” she said. When asked why, she explained, “We were informed that the medication we’re currently receiving is expired, and we’ve been told it doesn’t matter whether we take it or not. No updates have come from the government about what they plan to do for us.”
The situation is causing increasing anxiety within the community, where patients fear the consequences of skipping their medication or relying on expired drugs. The issue has left many feeling abandoned by the authorities, as they struggle to understand why they are being left to endure this crisis.
“It’s unimaginable,” one local resident said. “We have to take these drugs daily without fail, but now we are being told the ones we have are expired. We are left with no choice but to take them. Our doctors told us to stop, but what else can we do? There’s nothing else available.”
Another patient, a 32-year-old single mother, echoed similar concerns. “I was diagnosed with HIV eight years ago, and I have been on treatment ever since. But now, I feel like my life is being put at risk. I have a five-year-old child to take care of, and I don’t know what will happen if I fall sick because of this.”
With the growing uncertainty surrounding the situation, local residents and health advocates are calling for urgent intervention from both the Ugandan government and international partners to address the critical shortages and ensure the safety and well-being of those living with HIV.
Experts have long warned about the dangers of expired medications, which can lose their effectiveness and potentially cause harm to patients. But despite these concerns, healthcare professionals at Nalweyo Health Center II, when contacted by this publication, did not respond to calls for comment as phones went off.
