The head of Uganda’s leading state agency in the fight against HIV/AIDS on Wednesday warned that the country is facing financing shortages amid reduced international support.

Nelson Musoba, director-general of Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), in a statement, said due to emerging global pandemics, the upsurge of non-communicable diseases and political and economic crises around the world, international financing toward HIV/AIDS response was shrinking.

“These emerging trends and patterns, combined with shifts in international funding for HIV/AIDS, threaten the sustainability of Uganda’s response to the epidemic,’’ Mr Musoba said.

“Reaching the new 95-95-95 targets and achieving the global goal of End AIDS 2030 requires additional investment and focused efforts,’’ he said.

The UNAIDS 95-95-95 target aims for 95 per cent of HIV-infected people to know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed to receive antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95 per cent of those on treatment to achieve viral suppression.

Mr Musoba said the country’s HIV/AIDS funding gap had grown to US$272.66 million in 2019/20 from US$82.96 million in 2016/17.

He said the average annual cost of maintaining a person on ART is $380, which translates into a yearly treatment bill of over $532 million countrywide.

According to UAC, external donors finance 86 per cent of the country’s total AIDS spending, while the government finances the balance.

“This clearly calls us to explore avenues for financing the HIV response domestically,’’ Mr Musoba said.

(Xinhua/NAN)